Bollywood releases in limbo as producers go on strike

Both sides failed to reach a settlement last month.

“The bottom line is that Bollywood will not see a new release for at least another six weeks because any new film requires that much time for marketing and publicity,” producer Mukesh Bhatt told Reuters over telephone.

Marketing and distribution of new films has been suspended and Indian movie audiences may have to settle for dubbed versions of Hollywood and non-Hindi films.

Multiplex owners say producers’ threats are meaningless because no big films were supposed to be releasing this summer.

“Was there an Aamir Khan or a Shah Rukh Khan film releasing,which has been stalled?” asks Shravan Shroff,Managing Director of Fame Cinemas.

“The fact is that all this is just hot air — a big deal being made out of this strike when the fact is that there were no big releases scheduled during this time,especially with the IPL around the corner,” he said.

Analysts say one big film that could be affected by the stand-off is Sajid Nadiadwala’s ‘Kambakkht Ishq’. The action thriller,with Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor in the lead roles,features special appearances by Hollywood’s Sylvester Stallone and Denise Richards.

With most Bollywood films failing at impress audiences in 2009,a delay may not really affect the box-office fortunes of ‘Kambakkht Ishq’.

“Another Akshay Kumar film ‘Tasveer’,which released last week,could hardly garner 50 percent revenues at the box-office,” said analyst Amod Mehra.

But the impasse between producers and multiplex owners,already reeling under an economic slowdown,would cripple both sides financially.

“This situation is like one beggar asking the other for money,” Mehra said.

“Producers should look at cutting back star salaries if they want to save some money,” he said.