One of the largest names in movie manufacturing in India, Yash Raj Films, usually known as YRF, is the identify behind among the largest blockbusters and has churned crores through the years. For cinephiles, its mere affiliation with a film means expertise on the theatres. But, if you happen to take a look at the info of YRF productions, the misses outnumber the hits. Its efforts at creating content material should not translating into windfall. Its final manufacturing Bunty Aur Babli 2 did not work on the field workplace regardless of the hype. There have been 14 flops over 11 hits within the final decade.
The final movie that got here from the banner was Bunty Aur Babli 2 which couldn’t attraction the critics and viewers and settled with a field workplace assortment of Rs 11.98 crore (nett gross). Mardaani 2, that launched in 2019, additionally solely managed to have a mean run on the cinema halls and earned Rs 46.33 crore. Its big-ticket launch Thugs Of Hindostan (2018), starring biggies like Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan, was anticipated to set the money registers ringing however it fell on its face upon launch. It earned Rs 138.34 crore, which could appear to be quantity, however given the funds of the movie which was assumed to be Rs 240 crore, the movie was declared a flop.
The field workplace efficiency of YRF films within the final 10 years.
The manufacturing banner which carried the symbol of glitz, glamour and bigger than life movies confronted a troublesome street with movies like Qaidi Band (Rs 35.4 lakhs), Meri Pyaari Bindu (Rs 9.2 crore), Befikre (Rs 60.2 crore), Fan (Rs 84.03 crore), Titli (Rs 1.7 crore), Detective Byomkesh Bakshy (Rs 26.2 crore), Kill Dill (Rs 29.98 crore), Daawat E Ishq (Rs 25.58 crore), Bewakoofiyaan (Rs 13.9 crore) and some others.
Daawat E Ishq, Qaidi Band and Thugs of Hindostan are among the many flops of YRF.
The films that saved YRF afloat had been War, and the hit Tiger and Dhoom franchises. After Ek Tha Tiger’s humongous success (Rs 186.14 crore) in 2012, its sequel Tiger Zinda Hai did a enterprise of Rs 292.71 crore. The third movie within the Dhoom franchise, Dhoom 3 is an all-time blockbuster for YRF. Its assortment stands at Rs 260.63 crore. Salman Khan’s Sultan (Rs 300.67 crore) and Hrithik Roshan-Tiger Shroff’s War (Rs 292.71 crore) additionally minted moolah for the manufacturing home.
Even with some field workplace debacles, YRF has managed to rake in earnings. You could ask, how? Film exhibitor Akshaye Rathi explains, “YRF is very different from all the other companies that produce movies at a significant scale in India. The difference is all other companies are partners with some studio or another. Like Dharma (Karan Johar’s production house) started doing movies with Fox Star, they did some movies with Viacom where the movies are funded, marketed, and distributed by Viacom, and the ownership of IP is shared between multiple entities. The same is the case with most other producers. Most of them are producers or content producers. Yash Raj Films is an IP management company. 100 per cent of the IP of the content produced by Yash Raj Films is owned by them and that is a very envious position to be in.”
Sultan, Dhoom 3 and War are among the many top-earners for YRF.
He continued, “So, even if films do not do well at the box office, they do have a great satellite value or streaming value. For example, Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar did not do much at the box office but got some significant traction when it came out on Amazon Prime Video. Now with IP being 100 per cent owned by YRF, they eventually made a significant amount of money, which helped them stay afloat and keep churning money. This is something very unique to YRF. So, if XYZ movies don’t do well, over a period of time, other avenues like satellite rights, streaming rights and music rights sales, bring money back to them every few years.”
However, movie producer and commerce analyst Girish Johar feels the manufacturing home undoubtedly must be conscious of what films it associates itself with. He stated, “Today is the right time to contemplate what they want to release next year. Everyone needs to pull up their socks and understand what the audience wants. The audience today has changed due to OTT releases and they have a lot of options.”
Now, with their upcoming launch Jayeshbhai Jordaar, YRF might need a ‘sigh of relief’. Johar opined, “Had it been a Tiger or Dhoom franchise film, I could have said they will break the spell in a big way, but Jayesbhai Jordaar can give only a sigh of relief to the production house.”
Ranveer Singh in Jayeshbhai Jordaar.
Directed by debutant filmmaker Divyang Thakkar, the upcoming social comedy is led by Ranveer Singh. It revolves round Singh’s character, the son of the village head who’s underneath strain from the household to provide a male inheritor. It additionally stars Ratna Pathak Shah and Shalini Pandey.
Akshaye Rathi believes, “KGF 2 has now simmered down to a level where other movies can co-exist and can do well simultaneously”. He offers likelihood to the Ranveer Singh-starrer on the ticket home windows. “The only thing that can make or break Jayeshbhai Jordaar is the merit of the film. The audience has become very selective about what is worthy of their time and money when it comes to going to the theaters, and any movie which gives them these will be consumed,” he stated.
Though he advised that the movie won’t get a ‘ballistic’ opening, it holds “merits to be able to pick up with word-of-mouth and grow its figure day-on-day.” Rathi pegged the movie’s opening day assortment at Rs 6.5 crore. It is predicted to display screen on 1500-2000 screens throughout India.