Mangaluru (TOI): The release of Rajinikanth's magnum opus 'Kabali' is just a day away, but Thalaiva fans here are twiddling their thumbs. No multiplex here has announced advance booking till Wednesday evening while Kabalimania has reached its peak in Chennai and Bengaluru where advance booking started on Monday itself.
Though multiplexes say Kabali will be screened on Friday, negotiations are still on with the distributor for this region allegedly demanding a king's ransom. "It will be clear by Thursday noon,'' sources said. Sources in single screens and multiplexes said the distributor has put some terms which are not possible to meet in the Kudla market where there's no fan base for any film star.
TOI has learnt that one of the main stumbling blocks was the price demanded by the distributor, which puts the average price of a ticket at Rs 300 to Rs 400 in multiplexes. "This is madness. The highest we can charge viewers is Rs 190 to Rs 200,'' said the manager of one multiplex. Another multiplex manager said a Rajini movie is one of a kind, pointing out that recliner seats for the Salman Khan-starrer Sultan were priced at Rs 400.
"At the minimum guarantee price, the ticket prices have to be increased which we are not comfortable with. Secondly, with three multiplexes here, things will not work out at that kind of price. The multiplexes charge close to our rates on weekdays and we'll burn our fingers,'' said the manager, adding that people prefer multiplexes on weekdays as they are air-conditioned, with more comfortable seating and better ambience.
Another point of concern for cineplexes is the ratio of revenue sharing in the first week. "It is usually 50:50 in the first week, but the distributor is demanding 10% more. In the Bengaluru market this is okay since single screens are charging Rs 500 per ticket and even multiplexes can match that rate. But the Mangaluru market does not offer us that luxury,'' said the manager.
Sources say negotiations were on in Bengaluru with the distributor and things should be clear soon. The final rates are said to be in the ratio of 55:45 for distributors in multiplexes, but a final decision has not been reached. "Here, last-minute conversion happens and there's not much scope for advance booking. The content is hyped and they are demanding a high percentage which makes business sense for the distributor,'' added another multiplex manager.
