GLOBAL PANDEMIC DAMAGES STARS, MOVIES AND EVENTS
by ASJAD NAZIR
THE global coronavirus scare has had a massive impact on the movie industry and is giving Bollywood sleepless nights in multiple ways.
There are some movie industry professionals, who are also taking advantage of the deadly disease that has killed over 3,400 and infected over 101,000 people.
The biggest negative impact has been audiences staying away from cinema halls, which has impacted box office collections so badly that forthcoming blockbusters are considering changing their release date, with the most high-profile being new James Bond movie No Time To Die being pushed back seven months to a November release.
Bollywood producers are now considering the same, and this will result in the release date calendar getting clogged up. Multiple sources have confirmed that bigger budget Bollywood films will likely follow suit and postpone their release dates.
Teams behind soon-to-be-released blockbusters like Sooryavanshi are also being hampered by where they can travel to promote their films due to the virus, which will have a negative impact on marketing. This includes not being able to promote movies in crowded areas, in case it spreads the deadly disease.
Bollywood movies that have had to cancel or move their shooting schedules, include Akshay Kumar starrer Prithviraj, Karan Johar’s magnum opus Takht, spooky sequel Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and big Eid release Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai. Shifting shooting schedules not only increases the budget, but also means some films won’t be ready for release on time.
Another big casualty has been this year’s International Indian Film Academy Awards, which was due to be held this month, but has been postponed to a later date.
Bollywood producers are also having to invest in preventative measures for crews like providing face masks.
Some other films hoping to release in the next six months are struggling to attract buyers due to a decline in audiences.
Many jet-setting stars are cancelling international trips, including Abhay Deol, who was due in London last week for the press junket of his film Jungle Cry, but had to cancel the trip.
Deepika Padukone had to cancel her trip to attend Louis Vuitton’s FW2020 show at the Paris Fashion Week because the coronavirus epidemic had entered a new stage in France and other stars are following suit with their respective overseas commitments.
Meanwhile, some associated with the film industry are taking advantage of the tragedy causing death, disease and disruption.
Some producers unable to raise finance for announced film projects will blame the current situation in some way to save face.
Others using the coronavirus as an excuse are producers whose movies have under performed and organisers unable to sell tickets for events like concerts.
Don’t be surprised if some stars avoid a high-profile box office clash by saying they weren’t able to get their movie ready on time due to the virus.
Many celebrities, including Indian TV stars like Shivin Narang, are using it as an opportunity to get some quick publicity or social media attention by sharing photos of themselves wearing masks while travelling.
Others who are benefitting greatly from the outbreak, which originated in China, are streaming sites that have seen a spike from viewers choosing to stay at home.
But the overall damage to movie industries globally will run into hundreds of millions, if not more, while the coronavirus pandemic continues.
