78 Minutes, No Interval: Abhinay Deo Eyes Indian Cinema History

The new Doosra trailer has people talking as much for its shape as for its story. The film moves between Sourav Ganguly’s career-defining 2002 NatWest Trophy win over England and the life of Tara, played by Plabita Borthakur, in a strictly traditional Rajasthan household. But the headline detail is its running time: a tight 78 minutes, at a moment when many Indian films are stretching well past three hours.

That lean length is not a technical accident. Director Abhinay Deo, whose Delhi Belly became a cult favourite in 2011, says Doosra should ideally be seen from opening frame to closing frame without a break.

“Ideally, there should not be an interval in this film,” Deo told Bollywood Hungama.

A rare theatrical record

If exhibitors agree, Deo could become the only director in Indian cinema with two interval-free theatrical releases. Delhi Belly released without an interval 15 years ago, an unusual choice that became part of its reputation. Doosra is even shorter, which makes the case for an uninterrupted screening stronger.

Deo is candid about why the decision is not entirely in his hands.

• 78 minutes: Doosra’s reported runtime, shorter than the gap most cinemas give to food and drink sales.
• 15 years: The gap since Delhi Belly broke with the interval habit in 2011.
• October 23: Doosra’s scheduled theatrical release date.

Why the interval is a business decision

Intervals in India are an economic habit as much as a creative one. Deo pointed out that theatres often make more from popcorn and cola than from ticket sales, so a mid-film break is almost automatic. An interval-free release is therefore less a format choice and more a quiet negotiation between a filmmaker and the exhibition side.

That tension is familiar to anyone who has watched an English-language release being forcibly paused at the midpoint. Abroad, Deo noted, intervals are rare, but at home the break has become part of the cinema contract.

What audiences should watch for

The exhibition plan for Doosra is not locked. Deo admitted he does not yet know whether cinemas will screen the film without a break, but he is clear about the stakes for the audience: an interval in a film this compact would throw people off. That is why the release is being watched as a test of whether a genuinely short Indian theatrical feature can run on its own rhythm.

If the no-interval release comes through, the record will be as much about exhibition as direction. For viewers tired of three-hour-plus runtimes, a 78-minute film offers a different kind of night at the movies — one that might be over before the usual intermission would have begun.

Source: bollywoodHungama.com

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