Media's window problem

With a deluge of films and shows, timing their release right is proving to be a challenge for the industry

Every year, there are a few months when the death knell of the film business is sounded. The first six months of this year have been such a period. But just as media reports were talking of the industry’s trauma, along came Aditya Sarpotdar’s Munjya and Nag Ashwin’s Kalki 2898 AD. They have broken the dry spell with good box-office performance. Movies are back in business.

Of the several reasons for the somewhat dull first half, the most important is windows. India, the world’s largest film-making country, released close to 1,800 films in 2023. The number ranges