This story is from February 20, 2019

Why Delhi isn’t lining up for Oscar nominees in cinemas

Every year, to capitalise on the Oscar buzz, Delhi-NCR exhibitors and production houses release – and at times, re-release – Oscar-nominated films in cinemas once the nominations are announced, drawing big crowds. But this year, the story is different.
Low occupancy for Oscar nominees this year
Every year, to capitalise on the Oscar buzz, Delhi-NCR exhibitors and production houses release – and at times, re-release – Oscar-nominated films in cinemas once the nominations are announced, drawing big crowds. But this year, the story is different.
The Academy Award nominations were announced on January 22 and the awards ceremony will take place on February 24.
And in this period, exhibitors have released a number of these films in cinema halls. However, there is a sharp decline in the number of shows this year. And even for those few shows, the occupancy is quite low.
Last week, at one of the shows of The Wife – whose leading lady Glenn Close has been nominated for Best Actress – at a cinema hall in Delhi, only eight to ten people were present in the audience. The film is also showing for the first time in India, after it was nominated, and is not a re-release. Similarly, for films like 'A Star Is Born' and 'Green Book', which had a limited release last year and have been re-released after the nominations announcement, the occupancy is very low. Reason? Streaming services.
Over the years, exhibitors have transformed how Delhi watches Oscar-nominated films. Earlier, they only had to deal with piracy, but now they also have to compete with streaming services. Could this be the end of the Oscar bonanza season in cinema halls?
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What has changed?
Delhi exhibitors – who are generally unruffled by streaming services – agree that Delhiites’ love for watching Oscar-nominated films in theatres has dwindled this year because of streaming services.
Till last year, these screenings used to be a big deal. Six-seven years ago, cinemas started screening four-five Oscar-nominated films on select screens. Back then too, PVR had a dedicated film festival for Oscar-nominated films, which it still does. Even the other cinema halls that would screen these films would have at least 90-95% occupancy in their shows. Over the years, the increasing demand for Oscar-nominated films grew in Delhi, as did the number of screens and shows. Every year, cinema owners would tell us, “This year, the response is much better because people are curious about these films.”

The demand for Oscar-nominated films was also higher in Gurgaon, and the number of their shows exceeded the number in Delhi. In 2017, Kamal Gianchandani, CEO, PVR Pictures, had told us, “The demand for Oscar-nominated films or those that win the other awards has increased manifold in Gurgaon. The shows are getting a good response, the occupancy has improved and we are getting advance bookings. Over the years, the demand has increased.”
Till last year, the situation was quite optimistic as moviegoers queued up to watch Oscar-nominated films, because these films were released in theatres first. But this year, plenty of the nominees have released on streaming platforms first, hence the dwindling numbers.
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Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper in 'A Star Is Born'
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper in 'A Star Is Born'
Oscar magic missing
This year, there is no Oscar buzz at the box office. For instance, 'Green Book' (a re-release) has just one show, in one cinema hall, in Delhi, in three days. 'The Wife' (a first-time release) has seven shows in one day, and 'Bohemian Rhapsody' (a first-time release) has two shows a day, across NCR.
Considering the fewer screens allotted to Oscar-nominated films, you’d expect a full house at the available shows, but that is not the case. It looks like Delhi’s cinema bookings are heading for their lowest point since exhibitors first started screening Oscar-nominated films. A Delhi-based distributor says, “Streaming services are the only reason behind the lack of interest in Oscar-nominated films this year. The effect of this is obvious on both, the production houses and the exhibitors, and can’t be ignored. This year, the availability of films on streaming services didn’t allow cinema chains to cash in on the Oscar bonanza period because moviegoers didn’t need to wait for those films.”
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Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali in 'Green Book'
Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali in 'Green Book'
Echoing similar sentiments, a single-screen owner who is also a member of the National Association of Motion Pictures Exhibitors, agrees that the Oscar nominees are not doing their magic this year. He says, “It shouldn’t be that surprising because there’s a niche audience for Oscar-nominated films, and that was the audience who used to line up for these screenings. In December, when a special screening was organised for 'Roma', people were sitting in the front row to catch the film. But if it’s released today, even with its nominations, the film will not be able to match those booking numbers because people have already seen it online.”
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Rami Malek in 'Bohemian Rhapsody'
Rami Malek in 'Bohemian Rhapsody'
Oscar release? Streamed that already: Movie buffs
“I used to be so excited about Oscar releases in India because you suddenly realise there is a line-up of amazing films that you have not seen, and you should plan for it. But this year, most of these films are already available on streaming services. So what’s the point in watching them in cinema halls?” says Kanak Chaudhary, 35, a start-up owner who lives in Jasola.
Pratim Ghosal, 23, an MBA student who lives in Rohini, adds, “When we got to know that 'A Star Is Born' is nominated for an Oscar, I planned to watch it with my friends. But instead of waiting for its release in theatres in Delhi, we watched it online because the film was already there.”
Saket Gupta, 42, who works at a mall in south Delhi, and lives in Gurgaon, says, “Even seven-eight years back, I used to go to watch Oscar-nominated films. I like staying updated with one of the biggest award ceremonies. But now, there is no need to wait for cinemas. I have seen most of these films on streaming platforms last year itself, whose Oscar nominations were announced this year.”
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Willem Dafoe in 'At Eternity’s Gate'
Willem Dafoe in 'At Eternity’s Gate'
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