Gone are the days when big budget films pre-planned their release dates on their own terms. Thanks, or rather no thanks to COVID, the films are trying to sneak into theatres at any possible and feasible time to reach their audience.
After RRR, the next big thing that's creating a buzz online is the 'KGF: Chapter 2' and 'Beast' clash at the box office in April. Following the success of the Kannada blockbuster KGF: Chapter 1 which garnered a thunderous response pan-India, Yash’s KGF 2 is all set to release with Hindi stars like Sanjay Dutt and Raveena Tandon as part of the cast on 14 April, while Tamil star Vijay, who had a massive run with his last film Master is now all set to release his most anticipated film Beast on 13 April.
The Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Owners' Association President Tirupur M Subramaniam told The Quint that the clash of the two big budget films around mid-April will force theatre owners to reduce the number of screens for both the films. He added that, ”Even if KGF 2 and Beast are released with at least with a one week gap, it could be more beneficial to both the producers and theatre owners”.
Trade expert Ramesh Bala talking to The Quint said, “Any day, a solo release is ideal. However, given the language of origin of these films KGF 2 (Kannada) and Beast (Tamil) which are releasing in multiple languages, their clash would not be a huge problem”.
Vijay in a poster of Beast.
When asked about how Prashant Neel's directorial is aimed as a pan-Indian release, now also starring Dutt and Tandon, he further added that the release scale and expectations of KGF 2 and Beast are totally different. Beast is basically a Tamil film that is dubbed in other languages looking to expand its reach and trying to test the waters with actor Vijay in the North. “In states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, Beast is expected to have the upper hand owing to actor Vijay’s popularity in the states. However, KGF 2 is most likely to perform better in Northern India due to the successful history with KGF 1 in the past and Karnataka since it is obviously the native state for KGF franchise”, Ramesh Bala said.
According to industry and trade expert Sreedhar Pillai, “While people might say that KGF 2 and Beast teams could have sat together and spoke about avoiding the clash like how RRR previously did with its competitors during its release, we also need to consider the potential of the business that these films will do over the weekend. This is the best weekend of the year 2022 so far. There is a 5-day holiday including Tamil New Year and Vishu. Also, it is the beginning of the summer. As we know, summer will bring an extra 5-10% of the audience to theatres which coupled with festival days will create a good run for both the films”. Pillai further added that the opening day collection matters a lot and since the situation is fluid especially post COVID, it's best for a film to choose the best available date than to postpone further.
While fans and the film fraternity are excited about how these films will fare after releasing just a day apart, the films’ crew seems to look at it as a healthy competition. Earlier at the trailer launch of KGF 2, actor Yash was asked a question about the face-off with Beast. Pointing out how this is cinema and not an election where only one can emerge as a winner, he insisted that it was "not KGF 2 vs Beast, but KGF 2 and Beast".
Yash at the KGF: Chapter 2 trailer release.
(Photo Courtesy: Facebook)
Nelson Dilipkumar, the director of Vijay-starrer, expressed his appreciation for the trailer of KGF 2, tagging the film's director Prashant Neel, actor Yash and their production house. Following his tweet, Prashant Neel thanked him and wished him the best for Beast too. Further, the makers of Vijay’s Beast announced that the film’s trailer will be released at 6 pm on 2 April.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)