Kareena Kapoor-starrer Heroine is slated to record the widest ever theatrical release for movies with woman protagonists. UTV Motion Pictures, co-producer of the film, plans to release it in 2,400 screens across India. The movie would be released on Friday.
Industry sources say the movie’s production cost is Rs 20 crore. Its theatrical distribution rights have already been pre-sold in most regions, fetching the production house about Rs 16 crore.
The theatrical release of Heroine would leave behind Vidya Balan-starrer The Dirty Picture, released in 1,560 screens. All other films with woman protagonists were released in less than 1,000 screens. UTV Motion Pictures’ last release, Barfi!, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra, was released in only 618 screens in India. (TOP CINE TAXPAYERS)
| Screen numbers for all heroine-oriented films | |
| HEROINE | 2,400 |
| THE DIRTY PICTURE | 1,560 |
| KAHAANI | 995 |
| NO ONE KILLED JESSICA | 630 |
| FASHION | 500 |
| AISHA | 659 |
“For Heroine, the excitement and buzz have been exceptional. We have always followed a different strategy with all our films, depending on the content, and Heroine is no different. The subject and the current buzz around the film demands a wide release, as we want many people to see the film. Therefore, it makes great business sense to go wide,” said Gaurav Verma, director, India theatrical distribution, studios, Disney UTV.
On Barfi!’s small theatrical release, Verma said, “For Barfi!, we successfully managed to identify cinemas that complement the film. The idea was to ensure the film was available to all viewers within reach, without overloading the film in the first week. We were very confident of the content and sure the positive word-of-mouth publicity would get viewers into theatres, and the film would grow from show to show. This strategy has worked for the film and the response has been overwhelming.”