Theatres pin hopes on big Pongal weekend

NEW DELHI: Movie theatres, particularly across southern India, are hoping the big Pongal weekend will help start off the year on a good note for film business.

Tamil cinema, for which this is usually the biggest weekend of the year, is up for a clash of the titans with two big films--Varisu starring Vijay and Thunivu starring Ajith--releasing in cinemas and both stars running neck and neck for eyeballs and screens. The state will have an extended weekend, running into holidays next week with ample opportunities for the business. 

Telugu cinema, too, has two star films scheduled: Chiranjeevi’s Waltair Veerayya and Balakrishna’s Veera Simha Reddy. 

The only dampener is the absence of a big Hindi movie title, though theatres are expecting the dubbed versions of the southern films to manage some returns.

“The Pongal weekend is an auspicious occasion to kickstart theatrical film releases in 2023 and is anticipated to see a strong run this year. The two Tamil films led by superstars Ajith and Vijay go neck-and-neck over the weekend after a gap of nine years. While both actors command a large fan following, it is a welcome sign that the weekend will see films with a diverse audience profile, targeting segments that are not entirely similar for both films and leading actors. The fight is on even keel and much anticipated. However, with both movies being high-action, potential blockbusters, the festive timing of their release is likely to play a key role with high chances of clamour for screens most specifically in cinemas across the southern states,” Ashish Saksena, chief operating officer, cinemas, BookMyShow said.

Independent trade analyst Sreedhar Pillai said this was the maximum buzz seen for a weekend in a long time, given that two actors, traditionally seen as rivals in Tamil cinema, will be competing for attention. “Other than Diwali, this is the biggest weekend of the year for Tami Nadu. Plus, it’s that rare time of the year when the weather is extremely pleasant, so people like to go out,” Pillai said.

Trade experts say while both Varisu and Thunivu are distributed by Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Red Giant Movies, at least in most markets, the latter is expected to notch up a slightly higher screen count. However, Vijay is seen as a bigger star in overseas markets and his film will also attract more family audiences given its clean, entertaining vibe. Thunivu, on the other hand, is higher on action and stunts. Trade website Box Office India said early release on Wednesday had brought in collections of ₹22 crore for Thunivu and ₹21.50 crore for Varisu across India.

It is common for the Pongal weekend to see multiple releases across Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam languages, said Rajendar Singh Jyala, chief programming officer at INOX Leisure Ltd, who believes a ₹100 crore weekend is possible given the holiday period, even if not all films do equally well. 

“The only unfortunate part is there is no big Hindi release for the week. But Avatar is holding strong in the north, as is Drishyam 2. Plus, we have hopes from Marathi film Ved and some other regional language films in Punjab and West Bengal,” Jyala said. 

In the past, Bollywood has tried to cash in on Pongal and Sankranthi weekend with hits like Tanhaji- The Unsung Warrior and Uri- The Surgical Strike.