UTV delays launch of movies after box ofice failure

MUMBAI: UTV has delayed the release of over five small and medium films, involving investments of 100 crore, after a number of its big movies failed to make an impact at the box office over the last 18 months. In waiting are films like Paan Singh Tomar, Phillum City, animation film Arjun: The Warrior Prince, David Dhawan comedy Peter Gaya Kaam Se, Season's Greetings and the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Shoe Bite.

These movies were announced over the last two years, and have already been completed. The release of each of these titles would incur additional costs for prints and publicity, at least two people in the industry who know of the developments told ET. Siddharth Roy Kapur, chief executive officer, UTV Motion Pictures, said some of the movies are scheduled for next year.

Pan Singh Tomar is scheduled to release in March 2012 and Arjun in May 2012. Peter Gaya Kaam Se and Phillum City are direct-to-TV releases that will be aired across the UTV network in the first quarter of 2012. Season's Greetings is still in production.

"The only film on which we have had to take a creative judgement call is Hook Ya Crook," he added.

On the other hand, the sources said the releases have been delayed because four top movies from the UTV stable - Farah Khan's Tees Maar Khan, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Guzaarish, Anees Bazmee's Thank You and Vishal Bhardwaj's 7 Khoon Maaf - failed to click at the box office.

"They are stuck because of money issues as many of their calculations went wrong. To experiment with these smaller films would have been disastrous to their balance sheet," said a trade analyst closely involved with the distribution business.