



No cakewalk: Bollywood's multilingual film releases face logistical challenges and delays
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Bollywood filmmakers who dub and release films across languages to attract a wider audience may have bitten off more than they can chew. The first-day shows of recent hit Dhurandhar: The Revenge were cancelled in several places, more so in the south, where the prints of dubbed versions weren’t ready on time.Experts said logistical issues can often derail big release plans of films in multiple languages.
Each language version needs separate certification, which can be a challenge given the overworked and understaffed certification board.With dubbing and subtitling now closely regulated, producers need to lock versions early, build buffers for certification and ensure consistency across languages. Accounting for such complications, the Hindi version of Mammootty-starrer Patriot wasn’t released alongside its Malayalam version earlier this month.In the coming months, Allu Arjun’s Raaka, SS Rajamouli’s Varanasi, Yash-starrer Toxic and mythological epic Ramayana will aim for multiple language versions.“With dubbing, quality and sync are critical—if it feels off, audiences reject it immediately.
With subtitling now more closely regulated, accuracy and timely approvals are equally important,” said Bhuvanesh Mendiratta, managing director of Miraj Entertainment Ltd.Overall, multi-language releases demand precise planning and strong backend coordination to avoid last-minute issues that can create a domino effect, he added.Experts emphasized that any gap – whether in certification, content delivery or version quality – has a direct and immediate impact on the day of release. If shows get delayed or cancelled, especially for certain language versions, it results in lost footfall at the most crucial
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