Dhollywood struggles with delayed releases

Unlike Bollywood potboilers, for which the release dates are planned and announced months in advance, Gujarati filmmakers are having a difficult time when it comes to sticking to the scheduled release dates. And be it big ticket Bollywood releases, lack of management and not getting the CBFCclearance in time, Dhollywood movies get delayed all the time.And much to the disappointment of fans of Gujarati films, instances of release dates getting postponed to a later date has become a frequent phenomenon.
Sample this: The recently released Mijaaj got delayed because it was clashing with Love Ni Bhavai (both the films have Malhar Thakar in the lead), Faisal Hashmi’s Daud Pakad (slotted for October, 2017 release, it will now release this April or May) was delayed because of technical issues and the Gujarat assembly elections, Rahul Bhole’s Reva (slotted for November, 2017 release) will now release around May, and Backbencher (slotted for February, 2018) will now release in April or May. Besides, Gujjubhai Most Wanted, which was to release on January 19, has been pushed back to February, while Patel Vs Patrick has also been delayed indefinitely, leaving Darshan Raval fans upset. What’s more, other big budget movies like Family Circus and Gatha are not announcing their release dates either. So, what’s causing these unwanted delays?
BOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTERS, EXAMS POSE HURDLES
Understandably, most filmmakers don’t want their films to clash with big-budget Bollywood releases, which narrows down their options.
Adds Kirtan Patel, “We postponed the release date of Backbencher because Gujjubhai is now releasing in February. After that, there will be the board exams as well as college exams across the state.” Filmmaker Faisal Hashmi seconds him, “Due to big Bollywood releases and exam schedules, we are looking at releasing our movie in May. Earlier, we had chosen to push back the release date due to the Gujarat elections.”
AVOIDING BOX-OFFICE CLASHES WITH OTHER GUJARATI FILMS
In an industry that is still finding its feet, releasing two Gujarati films around the same time can be counterproductive. So, while Mijaaj was pushed back to January to avoid clash with Love Ni Bhavai, Backbencher was pushed back to avoid a clash with Gujjubhai Most Wanted. As Harsh Vasnani shares, “I strongly feel Bollywood releases never pose a threat to the performance of a good Gujarati movie. Ideally, local movie makers should ensure a sufficient gap between the releases of Gujarati movies. It will ensure that every movie gets a fair chance at the BO and at the same time, it won’t affect the business of another Gujarati film adversely.” Agrees Kirtan, “There are very few Gujarati movie releases and so, we should respect each other’s work and give it the maximum chance to perform properly without clashes.”
While these delays have often led to occasions where audiences have rued the absence of good Gujarati films at the theatres, we are hopeful that the industry will sort this out in a professional manner. After all, the show must go on!
DELAY IN SCHEDULES IS COMMON
Movies like Daud Pakad, Reva, Patel Vs Patrick and many others haven’t been able to keep up with their schedules, thereby causing delays. Rahul Bhole shares, “We were not able to keep up with the schedule and around October, the makers decided to dub the film in Hindi too. That has further delayed the entire process.”