U.P audiences not niche enough for some bollywood films ?

For movie-buffs in the city , Friday was a tad disappointing.For, Margarita With A Straw, which released across the country on April 17, and has earned great reviews from critics, did not make it to Lucknow.
In fact, the film was not even released in UP, though it is being screened at cinema halls in Delhi and NCR. No, there are no religious fundamentalists or other groups opposing the release of the film in this part of the country . So why then has the movie decided to stay away from UP?
READ: 'Margarita With A Straw' is a Bollywood film, says director Shonali Bose
Film distributors and exhibitors says that such `urban' films are made for class A audience, and in tier 2 cities such as Lucknow, the film hasn't been released to avoid losses.
NOT A MOVIE FOR TIER 2 CITIES
The story of the film Margarita With A Straw is that of a rebellious young woman with cerebral palsy , and her self discovery in life, which was un likely to attract audiences in UP, share distributors and cinema hall owners here. According to Rajesh Tandon, president, Lucknow Cinema Managers Association, “I had a word with the distributors of the film in Delhi, and they were of the opinion that the film is made for a niche audience and thought it might not get a good response in UP.“
Shailendra Kumar Singh, owner of Heer Palace, a cinema hall in Kanpur adds, “It is not the first time that a movie has not released in UP , there have been such instances in the past too. About this movie, I also got the same feedback from distributors that the film is made for a niche audience. Generally , it is the masala films which score well at the box office. Films made for a niche audience get critical acclaim, but don't get housefull shows in cinema halls.So to avoid losses, distributors avoid releasing them in tier 2 cities.“
However, multiplex managers in Lucknow were looking forward to the screening of the Kalki-starrer in the city and are convinced it would have got a decent response at lease here. Akash Khatri, general manager, Inox, shares, “I am optimistic that if the film was released in Lucknow , it would have got a good response. But then, distributors also know their job well.“
An official from Fun Cinemas, Lucknow, adds on the condition of anonymity, “I have noticed this trend of certain Bollywood movie not releasing in UP since a couple of years. If distributors think a particular movie might not pull crowds in UP , they avoid releasing it here.“
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY
When contacted, the distributors put forth various reasons behind the strategy of studios and distributors to not release films in a particular region. An official from UTV Software Communication Limited shared, “It is the strategy of studios, if they think particular film has limited audience they first release the movie in tier 1 cities and then, if it gets a good response there, they release the movie in tier 2-3 cities in the second week. For instance, Dum Laga Ke Haisha wasn't released globally , now that it has done good business nationwide, the studio is releasing the movie in overseas market. Black Friday also did not got released in many parts of the country . Sometimes, the District Magistrate of a place instructs exhibitors to not screen a particular movie lest it disrupt the law and order in the city .“
An official from Eros International Media Ltd also shared, “Films expected to get a small opening in cinema halls, or low budget films which do not have a big star cast, are released in limited prints in first week of its release. If they get good reviews, they are released in tier 2 cities as well. Margarita With A Straw comes with an English title, and the general public in UP might not even know , whether it's a Hindi or English film. Both distributors and exhibitors pay digital charges to the companies providing content.The number of prints a movie is released in, is directly related to the profit or loss it incurs.“
An official from Fox Star Studios India Pvt Ltd says, “UP is considered a big market for Bollywood movies, but it has a very mixed audience: singleplexe audiences like to watch films meant for mass consumption,while in multiplexes films are run based on content, wahan par big star cast doesn't matter. Also, UP has the highest entertainment tax, which brings down the profit margins for films. While in Punjab it's 0%, Delhi mein its only 20%. In UP it's double ­ 40%.“
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WATCH: Margarita, with a Straw | Trailer