If Peddi Dares That Feat, Industry Dynamics Will Change

Now that a lot of exhibitors from Telangana, especially the owners and lease-licence holders of single screens, are not interested in continuing the release of films through the rental system, and want to block big releases, “Peddi” might face lots of screen issues in the Telugu states. What if Peddi looks at this like an opportunity and dares to release it in only the available number of screens?

Just in case, if exhibitors never allow “Peddi” to release in theatres without a percentage system, and if “Peddi” hits cinemas in select multiplexes that are operated by the likes of PVR INOX, and avoids all other players, it will be a blow for local revenue, but then it will be a major blow for exhibitors also. Because PVR has a total of 110 screens in Telangana alone of the 516 available screens in the state, and if they start to screen only Peddi for 3 days, then major revenue goes to them only.

At the same time, during Jet Lee's recent release, while single screens are blocked, some enthusiasts didn’t release the film in their multiplexes either. Even if they dare to stop Peddi that way, the film will have at least 300 screens in the whole of Telugu states, because of some independent exhibitors like Prasads, Allu Cinemas, and others, likely to give screens for the Peddi movie.

If Peddi could sit through that and show numbers, that would be serious damage to the exhibitor ecosystem. Because most of the upcoming biggies are with the active producers that hosted press-meet other, and they might follow this pattern for their next movies also. That too, Mythri has movies like Fauzi and Dragon in the pipeline, and if exhibitors continue to resist such movies, they will be at a big loss, while these pan-India movies, anyway, bring profits from other zones.

Well, let’s see if Exhibitors and Producers will reach a common ground or not.