Originally scheduled to release in the cinemas on 10th July, ‘Sadak 2’ like many other 2020 films will be choosing an OTT release. It is a sequel to 1991 film ‘Sadak’ starring Pooja Bhatt & Sanjay Dutt and this second part stars Alia Bhatt & Aditya Roy Kapur and both the above mentioned actors once again. It is directed by Mahesh Bhatt and produced by Mukesh Bhatt.
“It (number of Corona virus cases) is increasing day-by-day instead of subsiding. In this situation do you think the theatres will open? And even if they do and ‘Sadak 2’ is released, will people go to watch it? People have to protect their families. Today, life is more important,” Mukesh Bhatt expressed. The producer also revealed that a two-day shooting is yet to be completed and is likely to start in the month of July.
“Now that films are releasing on OTT, it doesn’t mean theatres will shut down. People need outing, big screen entertainment is fun. It is a temporary phase. We need to understand it rationally and not blast or put each other down. We should lift each other up,” he further added.
It’s now pretty evident that this decision of OTT release is a compulsion for Bhatt and the only way out. ‘Sadak 2’ will walk the same path as ‘Gulabo Sitabo‘ and will be joined by ‘Shankuntala Devi’, ‘Gunjan Saxena- The Kargil Girl‘ and ‘Dil Bechara.’
The situation is difficult and there’s no certainty regarding the reopening of theatres. It is not possible to wait with zero anticipation of future. It will take a considerable amount of time to trust theatres for safety and till then, it’s best to release digitally. Of course direct-to-digital idea has made cinema chain owners unhappy but it is a ‘survival situation’ for filmmakers. However, the big screens will always have a separate set of audience choosing it over anything else and the idea of releasing on OTT platforms is a solution for short run. We feel streaming platforms will not replace theatres but merely add another option!
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