In an unprecedented move, some of the Hindi film industry’s biggest and most powerful producers recently came together to take stock of the cost of film promotions, which have been spiraling out of control. The meeting which was reportedly held at Karan Johar’s residence in Bandra, had names like Mukesh Bhatt, Sajid Nadiadwala, Ekta Kapoor, Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar and heads of several prominent film studios in attendance.
The producers jointly decided to put a stop on extravagant spending on marketing and promotions to keep budgets under control. The average cost of marketing a mid-level Bollywood film could be anywhere between 5 - 15 crores depending on the cast.
However the success of recent small budget films like Badlapur, Dum Laga Ke Haisha and NH 10 have proved that ultimately good content works irrespective of money spent on promotions.
Some of the decisions taken by film producers after their recent meeting are:
a. The promotion of a film will not exceed beyond 6 weeks b. No producer will be allowed to take paid media (costs 20-60 lakhs per film) c. No more promotional jackets in newspapers d. No outdoor hoardings e. No bus backs f. Costs of trainers and managers would be borne by the stars themselves
It seems finally the big producers are waking up to the fact that it’s safer to bet on a Small film with a GREAT script and No promotion rather than a Big film with NO script and lots and we mean LOTS of promotion.
(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.)