Shah Rukh Khan’s logic — more theatres for bigger profits. Also, if China can do `2,000 crore business, why can’t we?
Joginder Tuteja (DNA; December 15, 2015)
Shah Rukh Khan always means business. At the time that Chennai Express released, only one film had entered the Rs 200 crore club — Aamir Khan’s 3 Idiots. The ongoing topic at that time was for films to be regularly placed in the Rs 100 crore club. It was back then that Shah Rukh mentioned that not just Rs 100 crore, but even Rs 200 crore would soon be passé. That it was time to aim for Rs 300-500 crore. In 2015 alone, two films — Aamir Khan’s PK and Salman Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan — have already crossed the Rs 300-crore mark. As Dilwale gets set for release, SRK speaks about bigger clubs emerging sooner than expected.
On more audiences watching a film
“I think, Rs 1000 crore is closer than you could imagine. Best case estimate, 10 crore people watch films. Films like Baahubali, Bajrangi Bhaijaan and PK did really well and got 10 crore eyeballs. Inme se kuch repeat audience bhi hogi par chalo, tab bhi 10 crore maan lete hain. Ab hamaari country ki population dekho — we are a country of 125 crore people. The best business takes place in a two-week time frame. Ab picturein chheh-aanth hafte toh chalti nahi. Do hafte mein zyaada se zyaada revenue aa jaata hai aur uske baad thodi bahot chalti rehti hain. There is scope for more.”
The solution
“Once you have theatres near you, it would automatically entice you to watch films there. There are at least 100 crore people who are not watching your film in theatres. So let’s say ki hamein aaj ki collections double karne ke liye sirf 10 crore log aur chahiye. This means targeting just 10 per cent more people to step out from their house. Woh agar kar lein toh 300-400 crore aur hai picture ke revenue mein jodne ke liye. As theatres increase and as they reach out to more B, B and C-tier cities, business will naturally increase. Agar filmein bhi badi ho, toh yeh possibility hai.”
Look around you
“Aaj India mein bhi Hollywood films kitna achcha kar rahi hain. Rs 40-50 crore toh araam se aa rahe hain. Ours is the only country which is very loyal to cinema, so making big bucks is a realistic possibility. Whenever we manage to get a long-running film and there is a free run to that as well, we will gain very good numbers. I think teen-chaar saal ki baat aur hai and we would have a realistic shot of doing the kind of numbers which sound unrealistic today to some out there. I hear that har saal 40-50 naye theaters aur ban rahe hain. Aaj hamaare paas 5,000 screens hain. Do-teen saal mein 1,000 screens aur hongi.”
Rs 1,000 crore – Here we come!
“The business of films is growing manifold in China. I recently met a Chinese distributor and asked him ki ‘wahaan par ek badi Hollywood ya Chinese film kitna kar leti hai?’ He said, ‘To the tune of Rs 2,000 crore. Ab agar hum apni population ko dekhein, toh we are not far behind China. If we are able to create theatres, then Rs 1,000 crore is a definite possibility.”