SRK film expected to earn up to 70% of collections abroad.
The jury’s still out on whether the Shiv Sena demand that the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer, My name is Khan, be banned by exhibitors will lead to some losses for producers and distributors of the much awaited movie.
True, Maharashtra and its capital, Mumbai, account for over 25 per cent of a Bollywood movie’s box office collections. However, My name is Khan is expected to be a large grosser in the overseas market too, just like other Shah Rukh movies. As a result, the movie might not face as big a loss as many expect it to.
Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, which produced the movie for Rs 40-45 crore, had sold the worldwide distribution rights of the film to Fox Star Studios for over Rs 100 crore, making it one of the most expensive films in Bollywood. However, the exact structure of the deal is not known.
The Shiv Sena has already sent letters to exhibitors to ban the film, saying that the party “vehemently objects to Shah Rukh Khan’s movie being screened unless he publicly apologises to the country for inviting Pakistani cricketers to play in the Indian Premier League”.
Says trade analyst Komal Nahata: “The Mumbai-Maharashtra area constitutes 25 per cent of revenues and is obviously the biggest market. You cannot make money in a film that is not shown here.” Industry experts say the film’s producers may lose between Rs 5 crore and Rs 6 crore, even if it is released in half the cinema houses in the area.
“The Shiv Sena has clout only in Mumbai, Thane, Pune and Nashik. It cannot stop the film from being screened all across Maharashtra,” said an industry analyst. He further added that Karan Johar’s previous films, like Kabhi alvida na kehana, recovered over 50 per cent of their money from overseas audiences.
“With My name is Khan, which has a more larger international appeal, as it is about a couple in the US, we expect 60-70 per cent of the box office collections to come from abroad. So, that is why Shah Rukh might not be worried,” the analyst adds.
Exhibitors, as well as sub-distributors of the movie, just hope there is some kind of an agreement before the film is released on February 12. Fame India Managing Director Shravan Shroff said: “As a sub-distributor of the film and an exhibitor, all I want is to screen the movie in a peaceful atmosphere. I’m sure the concerned political party and Fox Star Studios will reach some consensus in this case.”
Fame India acquired the theatrical distributor rights of My name is Khan from Fox Star Studios for the Maharashtra territory. However, the deal does not include Mumbai city.
Fun Cinemas COO Vishal Kapur says: “It’s unfortunate that such things happen. They affect business, along with public sentiments. It’s definitely not welcomed. But, one hopes the matter is resolved before the movie’s release.”
However, as a preventive measure, theater chains have pulled down posters of My name is Khan.
In his statements to the media, Shah Rukh had said earlier: “As an Indian, I’m not ashamed, guilty or unhappy about what I said. Neither am I sorry. Whatever I said, which has created an issue, I said it because I am an Indian. I think that every Indian would say the same — that we have a good country and that everyone is welcome as a guest.”
Meanwhile, SRK is asking his fans to book tickets of the movie through online ticketing portal KyaZoonga.Com, the official online ticketing company appointed by Fox Star Studios and Johar’s Dharma Productions.
