Heroine to become first woman-centric movie to be released in 2,400 screens

To cash in on the interest generated among the audiences by the trailer of Bollywood diva Kareena Kapoor’s upcoming releaseHeroine, the makers of the film are all set to release it across 2,400 screens in India, which is so far the widest release for a woman-centric film. Madhur Bhandarkar’s much-awaited directorial venture, which revolves around the life and career of an actress, has reportedly recovered about half its total budget already. Generally only male-oriented movies starring top stars like theKhan Trio, get big releases for exampleEk Tha Tigerwas released in more than 3,000 screens in India and abroad. “We have always followed a different strategy with all our films depending on the content andHeroineis no different. The subject of the film demanded a wide release as we want as many people to see the film and hence it made great business sense to go wide,” said Gaurav Verma, director, India theatrical distribution, studios, UTV Disney. According to film trade analyst Komal Nahta, “The film looks promising. In the last couple of years, the audience has been accepting female-oriented films likeKahaani,The Dirty PictureandNo One Killed Jessica”. Apart from that,Heroinehas also set a record of sorts by signing on eight brands to promote the film—the most for any movie with a female protagonist.