Variety

Thugs of Hindostan releases this Diwali: Are movie launches during festivals good for families or not?

DailyBiteSeptember 18, 2018 | 15:55 IST

This Diwali, like all the other Diwalis and Eids and Christmas in the recent past, a movie will release.

Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif and Fatima Sana Shaikh, Thugs of Hindostan will hit theatres 'near you' on November 8.

This Diwali watch (or don't) Thugs of Hindostan.

Bollywood has realised the economic potential of releasing movies around festival time when people (the lucky people, that is) do not have to report to work.

With precise care, the film fraternity releases 'family movies' (films you can watch with family members without twisting and turning in your chair, pretending to be ignorant of the 'uncomfortable scenes') around this time because this is, after all, the time people want to spend with families.

But just what do the festival releases do to the idea of family time? Is it something we should look forward to — or avoid for 'family's sake'?

Poulomi Ghosh

Gone are those days when spending 'family time' meant compulsory attendance of evening aarti, failing which comes with serious repercussions.  Or, basking in the winter sun, knitting and chatting on a terrace somewhere.

Yes, Hum Saath Saath Hain, but only on Skype or WhatsApp — spread over seven cities or countries, maybe.

When members of such a family meet after a long time on the occasion of a festival, what can be a better way of thawing distances than a family lunch, followed by a movie, or a movie followed by dinner? Festival releases keep this in mind and, across industries, there is a race for a slot during this time.

A lot can happen over a tub of popcorn. (Photo: Twitter)

If Bollywood has its Eid and Diwali releases, Hollywood has its summer and Christmas releases. And then, there is Superbowl to release the trailers. Similar trends can be traced in regional film industries as well. For instance, a number of Bengali movies are queuing up for big releases during Durga Puja, like every year.

But no, they are not 'eating up' family time — there are 13 other hours (given eight hours of sleep) to develop inter-personal communication skills.

Festival film releases are, in reality, bringing family members together on a shared journey of watching a film. Otherwise, we would have struggled to find a common point and sulked individually on our social media accounts, sitting in the same room.

Getting ready on time, being seen in public with relatives, waiting in front of the theatre for that cousin whose last post on the family WhatsApp group you hated — such rituals are very rare, especially when you live alone, do not even care to go to theatres to watch movies, and are quite happy and settled in your ‘Netflix and chill’ life.

Last checked, the idea of 'family time' does not belong to inflexible Physics. It is far more flexible and accomodative than we think it is.

Vandana

Sitting alone, waiting for someone or just idling by ourselves, we stay glued to the phone not because we always have some important message to answer or some earth-shattering news to read. We don't take our eyes off the phone because we have turned into a bunch of socially awkward people.

We do not know where to look in the company of people.

Bollywood is capitalising on this social awkwardness.

So, when you have time to spend with the family, it invites you to 'blockbuster' releases, custom-made for the festive season.

Sit and talk with your family than watch 'family films'. (Source: Agencies)

All of Bollywood's superstars — Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Ranbir Kapoor and Akshay Kumar — try to capitalise on the festive cheer by asking you to go watch their films.

We latch on to the bait because we do not know what to do sitting at home all day long.

Well, you just sit and talk. The results will leave you amazed.

Festivals offer time for good food and participating in the rituals that accompany special days. It is a time to meet people and breathe easy. Going for a movie is making an investment of a whole day which could have been better spent with people who matter. While we can catch up with family and friends otherwise too, the joy of spending time with those we like during festivals is multiplied several-fold because a festival is a time when we ourselves are generally more cheerful.

Venturing out during the festive season is no mean task. It adds to our overall stress, negotiating heavy traffic and tight parking spaces. A dinner outside after a movie is torturous to say the least, with people waiting in serpentine queues, famished beyond tolerance.

Watch movies on your weekly offs — and leave the festivals alone for family's sake.

If we have to head to cinema halls to have a good time during festivals, we sure are not living right.

Also read: Manmarziyaan is way more real than Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. It's all about how we love and lust

Last updated: September 18, 2018 | 16:59
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