A funny thing happened this past weekend. Funny too that it hasn´t happened before and it is only an indication that things are not changing in Bollywood - at least - not any time soon. Madhur Bhandarkar´s Satta- The Game Of Power was originally scheduled for a release on December 27th. The director was incessant on this, mainly because he wanted his two main leads, Raveena Tandon and Atul Kulkarini to receive recognition that he was very sure they would receive. After several reports with this statement, with no report came the delay. The film would inevitably be postponed to the 2003 calendar year. 

Just last week, however, the distributors of the film commented that they will be once again re-scheduling from the 31st of January. Giving the reason as too many other films (the film as was, was scheduled to clash with Tinu Verma´s thriller Baaz- A Bird in Danger and Boney Kapoor´s much talked about romance Khushi). What was funny was that at the time, the distributors of Baaz had already revealed that they too would be postponing their film. Coincidence, both indicated the 7th of February as their intended release date. This coming along with the stuck in the clouds ´Jaal-The Trap´ revealing that they will be changing their release date from the 31st, to the 7th or the 14th. 

A busy month indeed, January was presumably going to be a good indication as to what the year of 2003 would be like. A variety of genre´s clashed (and will clash). The mandatory romance, one involving a couple in turmoil (Dil Ka Rishta), the other a father disagreeing to a relationship (Aapko Pehle Bhi Kahin Dekha Hai). An action romance with complete masala (Talaash), and the thriller with a difference (Jism). Coming up is the complete out and out action film, Dum, and the youth oriented drama Kucch To Hai. Thus far none have proven beneficial to the industry, not even the smut laden Bhatt production Jism. As much they shout on roof tops, the film is not going to do Raaz like business. 

But with the month halfway over, turmoil has once again stricken. Kucch To Hai and Dum will be the last films of the month and as such, much are laying on them. The variety in releases that would have continued until the 31st with Baaz (a thriller), Satta (a political parallel piece) and Khushi (another romance with a difference), has been concluded with the reasoning of simple postponement. 

However, there is confusion about the movies releasing in February. No not because of the Cricket World Cup if you are thinking along those lines, but actually there’s a possibility of an indefinite cinema closure in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan from the 7th February. The Central Circuit Cine Association (CCCA), which governs the distributors and exhibitors of C.P. Berar, C.I. and Rajasthan, has called for suspension of all cine activities from February 7 in protest against, among other things, the failure of the state governments to reduce entertainment tax and take concrete steps to arrest video and cable piracy. The CCCA has termed the closure a “protest against anti-film industry policies of states in the central circuit”. 

Cinemas in Maharashtra were also to have been a part of the indefinite closure but the state government recently announced some stops for the industry in the form of a nominal reduction in entertainment tax and doubling of the tax-free service charge allowed on admission tickets. If the proposed closure does materialize, releases from next week (31st January) onwards will get postponed. As of now, chances of the closure and, therefore, the postponement of new releases, are 50:50. But, Boney Kapoor, who was the only one left with the 31st of January as a release date, something that would be ideal for his anticipated romance, has already announced that his film will be delayed.

For now, the 7th of February seems unlikely a date for any of these films. Mainly because there will remain an uncertainty as far as the strike is concerned, but simply because, if the strike does end, many of these films will not want to clash with each other. That is, after all, the main reason they were postponed in the first place, right?