Coronavirus scare: Should release of ‘Sooryavanshi’ and other biggies be postponed? Film fraternity speaks

Hansal Mehta (filmmaker): “I hope these films don’t have to postpone the release. But seeing the widespread and often justified fear of this deadly virus I think they might be constrained to delay the release. This virus is a reality and one of the important safeguards is avoiding crowded spaces. Cinema halls, malls, airports and other closed public spaces are seeing reduced footfalls and as the outbreak spreads these footfalls might reduce further. What other option do producers have in such a situation?”

Amod Mehra (trade analyst): “People are afraid to attend any public place due to fear of the virus.At a time like this it's best to postpone Big films releases.On the other hand, as the theaters too have to function, small filmmakers will be in commanding position and can finally get a proper release for their films.”

Kishan Damani (distributor): “I feel the big films should be released later because overseas revenues will be getting affected .Dubai is planning to close theatres for 1-2 weeks as per my information ..Also because new cases of the virus are being reported on daily basis people are getting scared in India too.”

Roshan Singh (exhibitor): “I don’t see postponement as a solution. Films like Sooryavanshi,’83 and Gulabo Sitabo can’t afford the delay . It means further promotion and publicity costing crores. Besides what guarantee is there that the coronavirus situation will improve in the near future? Baaghi 3 has braved the virus and emerged a winner.”

Girish Johar: “Postponing the release does not makes any sense.In fact it will trigger confusions at the boxoffice and also in the minds of the consumer. India is a wide and densely populated country with a mass population. This move according to will actually be giving into the scare and also indirectly create panic. We have been made to believe that the Government is in full control of the scenario and there is nothing to panic about. Yes, basic cleanliness and hygiene have to be maintained, precautions must be taken. But will postponing make people stop going to malls, local markets, weekly bazaars in our locality, railways local trains, metro? I don't think so.”

Akshaye Rathi: “Coronavirus is an issue that has been impacting people all over the globe. The fear psychosis around it is bound to impact consumption across sectors , and cinema is no exception. While the fantastic opening weekend of Baaghi 3 has shown that people are still coming to cinemas in big numbers for films that they want to watch, every film maker who has a release up close needs to analyze whether it makes sense to stick to the original release date or to find another date in the future amidst the clutter in order to derive optimal business.”