9 Hindi Films In Theatres This Month

March may prove decisive  for  the  movie-theatre business in India. There are as many as 9  Hindi  films being released   in movie theatres this   month. These  include  the  horror-comedy  Roohi with Janhni Patel  and  Rajkummar Rao and  the  dance film Time To Dance On  March  11 and  12 which launches Katrina  Kaif’s  sister Isabelle with Sooraj Pancholi.

The  following week  on  March 12 Sharman Joshi plays  a soldier in  Fauji Calling. Since no one  knows  about this film it is  most likely  going to sink immediately.And on March 19  John Abraham turns gangster(again) in Sanjay Gupta’s  Mumbai Saga .March  26 will see the  release  of Ram  Gopal Varma’s D Company, thematically very lose to  Mumbai Saga . March 26 will also  see  the release  of  two other  films Haathi Mere Saathi featuring Pulkit Samrat and Rana Daggubatti in what appears  to bear no resemblance  to  the  Rajesh Khanna blockbuster  of  same title  from 1971.

Also  on March  26  is  Yash Raj  Films’ Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar  which  was the first  casualty  of the  lockdown in  March 2020. Its lead actors  Parineeti Chopra and Arjun Kapoor both  need  a hit badly.

 Honestly, none  of these films except Roohi have the potential  to  eventuate  a  turn-around  in the   fortunes  of  the  boxoffice.

Trade  guru Taran Adarsh says, “The flow of films begins from March 2021 onwards. It’s an important phase since the world is still fighting the dreaded covid. Will the audience walk into cinemas, only time will tell. But, on the other hand, the exhibition sector, which is bleeding since last year, has got some respite. The flow of films coupled with some biggies slated for release in the coming weeks should help revive the entertainment industry.”

Adds  movie exhibitor Akshay Rathi, “Roohi, Mumbai Saga, D Company, Flight, Godzila vs Kong and Haathi Mere Saathi are theatrical experiences that can certainly excite the audience into stepping out to the theatres.”

Trade  analyst Girish Johar comments,  “It feels very good and  positive  that we have around 9 theatrical films in  March. The theatres will be buzzing with some activity which would definitely be a breather from no shows earlier. Yes, these releases will bring back the confidence of the audiences and will definitely set up a platform for the biggies.For me, every drop counts and even if any film from  any genre does add some percentage  of  audience walk-ins at the theatres, it is a positive sign and it helps in our return to normalcy at the movie cinemas. Larger availability of the vaccine will also add as a confidence-building measure.”