Salman Khan’s ‘Sikandar’ premiered on Netflix last Sunday and the platform has since been trying to hype the film to gain viewership but looks like no one’s interested even a little despite what Netflix’s metrics might claim.
This goes on to show how often the theatrical failure of big budget dramas often extends to their digital premieres as well. And if they came looking for a fresh breath of life on OTTs, just like some mid or small budget films, they couldn’t have been more wrong.
There’s reasons why this happens. Films like ‘Sikandar’ are built for theatrical spectacle, rely on star power, lavish sets, and high-octane action to draw crowds but weak script, outdated formula, scathing reviews and poor word-of-mouth discourage the public from experiencing it on the big screen. Even the hard core fans who never miss Salman’s movie in cinemas are utterly disappointed this time.
And that raises the question why would anyone waste their time and effort over such a flop film!
Moreover, for films like ‘Sikandar’ the failure stigma is amplified by social media criticism. This degrades the grandeur of such big-budget films making them lose impact on smaller screens, where audiences are spoilt for choice, and can always skip them for fresher content.
In contrast, not so shiny, mid or small budget films are very often seen getting a second life on OTT even after an underwhelming response in theatres because the enigma quotient as to what it is all about helps them grow on digital medium. Moreover, their niche appeal and authentic storytelling resonates well with the OTT audience.
That said, any sort of content only works when it’s good. Whether it’s the OTT or the theatres, other factors like star power might aid in some way but for the magic to happen the story has got to be strong.