19 July is certainly special in India with the release of three highly anticipated films - "Kadaram Kondan", "Aadai" and "The Lion King".

Cinema owners are counting on the films to increase profits as the summer has not been kind to them so far. They have been facing a major loss in revenue due to delayed releases, increase of ticket prices and a severe lack of hits.

They are now counting on the three films to provide them with a miracle. "Kadaram Kondan" is Vikram's first release for 2019 and its action-packed trailer has generated a lot of interest so far. It has been passed with a U/A certificate with a runtime of 121 minutes. The action scenes are said to likely draw in the younger audience.

"Aadai", on the other hand, has had tongues wagging after its controversial teaser, which shows Amala Paul posing nude in the film. With a runtime of 141 minutes, "Aadai" has been passed with 'A' certificate, and the theatrical rights have been sold for a reasonable minimum guarantee price.

The third release - "The Lion King" - is the live action version of Disney's 1994 megahit cartoon.

The film has been dubbed in Tamil by actors Arvind Swami, Siddharth, Robo Shankar, Aishwarya Raja and Singam Puli. The Tamil dubbed version is to be released across Tamil Nadu, even in tier-3 cities and towns because it is a guaranteed crowd puller especially among families with children.

The major concern is the time slot for each film – distributors are arguing over the allocation for the films. "Kadaram Kondan" might be given the major slot, but "Aadai" and "The Lion King" can't be counted out and are able to give stiff competitions.

In Chennai and Chengalpet, cinemas have the luxury of accommodating all three films, thanks to the proliferation of multiplexes. But this isn't the case with the rest of Tamil Nadu, which is dominated by single screens and most prefer screening "Kadaram Kondam".

But cinema owners are aware that "Aadai" should be able to draw in the crowds too, given the hype around it. Today, the film business is structured around the opening weekend. The collection will always see a dip on Monday, even if the film has had a reasonable amount of exposure.

The idea is to maximise the collection for the opening weekend since it covers 80% to 85% of its overall profits. This is why most distributors are reluctant to share the screens.

"Kadaram Kondan" will have an edge over the others due to Vikram's star power and command over 450 to 500 screens. "Aadai" is likely to get 300 to 350 screens, while "The Lion King" may get over 200.

Source: The Hindu
Photo source: The Hindu