You Asked It: Kites & Raavan: Egos, Flops & Television

What is it that prevents producers from accepting that their film has flopped when it actually does?

Nothing but ego! If a producer himself admits that his film has bombed, the truth will get repeated by the media and others in the trade and among the public far more than it would if the producer kept defending his film and saying that he didn’t lose money in it.

Producers allow their films to be aired on satellite channels within weeks of their theatrical release when they bomb at the box-office. No doubt, they get paid more for early telecast than for a delayed telecast, but why do they publicise the fact of telecast so much in advance? When the public becomes aware of the impending telecast, why would it go to the cinemas to watch that film?

It is not in the producer’s hand to monitor the promotion of a film’s telecast on a satellite channel. Once a channel buys the rights, it can’t be prevented from promoting this fact alongwith the date of telecast. After all, the channel has to publicise the date to lure both, eye balls and advertisers. Besides, very early telecast happens only when a film bombs in the cinemas (eg. Kites and Raavan in recent times). And when that happens, the morale is so low that neither the producer nor the corporate distributor (in case the film is distributed all over by a corporate) has the inclination to talk about the film!

– By Komal Nahta