There are strong talks doing round about Akshay Kumar’s upcoming film ‘Bell Bottom’ skipping theatres and going for digital release. This move comes at a time when theatres have not only reopened but are also receiving good response, as the box office numbers for ‘Master’ and ‘Krack‘ suggest. So what is it that is acting as a twist in the arms and making filmmakers to opt for such a decision?
While there can be many opinions on this, one possibility is the feeling of insecurity and uncertainty. During the lockdown, when producers were left with no other option but to go for direct-to-OTT releases, it not only helped the filmmakers survive the period of crisis but also assured financial returns. OTTs also gained at the viewer front who too turned towards them for all things entertainment while being stuck at home.
And in turn OTT platforms opened up a whole new array of world class content to the Indian audience who now has plethora of options to watch from. This introduction to top quality content from around the globe has raised expectations of the Indian viewers in general, who now want the same from Indian content.
The filmmakers are aware of this and its one of the reasons that what once felt good enough to pull the audience into the theatres seems to lack behind now. This shift in the viewing behaviour has revamped the whole setting, with viewers now making more informed smart choices. People now want to spend money on tickets of only certain tentpole films and wait for others when they are done with their theatrical course and come to OTT platforms or on television.
Meanwhile, more the filmmakers make the audience wait for a film’s theatrical release the higher will the expectations rise and if they fail to deliver, this waiting period could fall flat terribly on their faces. And maybe its because of these unsure circumstances that the makers of ‘Bell Bottom‘ are not yet ready to test the waters.
It will be interesting to see how films like ‘Sooryavanshi’, ’83’ and ‘Radhe’, who have all opted for theatrical release howsoever long they have to wait, meet the demands and expectations of the audience after all that’s going on.
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