The Covid-19 pandemic has undoubtedly proved to be a difficult time for the entertainment industry, especially the Hindi film industry. Bollywood has borne the brunt of the Covid-19 pandemic like no other film industry has. And the post-pandemic scenario is no better. Bollywood films, even those starring A-listers, have been flopping left, right and center. Runway 34, Heropanti 2, Bachchhan Paandey, Jayeshbhai Jordaar, Anek, Attack, Samrat Prithviraj – the list of flops is long and illustrious.
The same goes for other film industries too, to a certain extent. Acharya, Sarkaru Vaari Paata, Valimai, Etharkkum Thunindhavan, Hey Sinamika – several Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films did not perform as well at the box office as expected.
The long list of flops and the too few hits makes one wonder at the reason for the sorry state of affairs in the Indian film industry. The blame for this can be laid squarely at the new, post-pandemic trend of early OTT releases for films. The popular trend nowadays is that most films arrive on streaming within 4 weeks of their theatrical release – that is, a mere 28 days after their release in theatres. A few films even land on OTT within 2 or 3 weeks of their cinematic release.
Today, streaming rights of films, along with their OTT release dates, are locked even before the films hit cinema screens. Streaming giants offer lucrative sums for quick streaming rights for buzzy films. Producers of the films readily agree with the terms and conditions laid down by OTT platforms such as Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus Hotstar, SonyLIV and ZEE5.
They may do it out of greed, fear or helplessness. But the fact remains that most filmmakers have become comfortable with the idea of a short 4-week theatrical window, and early OTT release for their films.
This new trend has had a devastating effect on the businesses of films. Audiences have wizened to the fact that films will mostly arrive on OTT within 4 weeks of their theatrical release. Rather than spending big bucks at the cinema hall, audiences now consider it beneficial to wait for a few more weeks and watch their preferred films on OTT. A trip to the theatres is reserved only for event films such as RRR, KGF Chapter 2, and recently, Vikram. Thus, even films such as Attack and Runway 34, meant to be enjoyed on the big screen, fail to draw audiences to the theatres. The same viewers are watching these very same films on OTT and praising them to the skies.
Very soon, early OTT releases for films will sound the death knell for theatres. The need of the hour is to quickly raise the theatrical window to a minimum of 8 weeks, and a maximum of 12 weeks for films. Only then Indian cinema, as we know it, will survive and thrive.
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