Salman Khan’s ‘Sikandar’ came out this Eid with humongous anticipations only to face an epic fail at the box office. And this time it’s not just the critic, the fans too are terribly disappointed. As a matter of fact it’s not just ‘Sikandar’ but most of the films made in recent years have met with somewhat a similar fate.
So who is to blame for this downfall of Indian cinema?
In a recent event, Aamir Khan was heard saying that today’s films aren’t working in theatres because public knows for sure that it will arrive on OTT in just a few weeks (eight weeks for Hindi films and four weeks for South Indian films), so why would they want to pay for it in theatres when they have already got subscription packages for various platforms.
Isn’t that right to quite an extent! Moreover, to add fuel to the fire, overpriced movie tickets and refreshments at the multiplexes further discourage the average price sensitive Indian audience from enjoying that big screen experience.
But are OTT platforms the real and sole culprits in this thing? Has it got nothing to do with the quality of cinema getting made these days? If that is the case how come certain films like ‘RRR’, ‘Pathaan’, ‘Jawan’, ‘Pushpa 2’, ‘Chhaava’, ‘12th Fail’, ‘Stree 2’ and more did so wonderfully well at the box office?
Knowing that all films will make their way to OTT is a universal truth for Indian cinema now but that cannot be touted as the very reason they do not perform during their theatrical release.
There are various other factors leading to such back to back failures in Indian cinema. For starters, there is a lack of relatability in today’s films that have become too urban in approach and do not connect with the masses. Then there’s the issue of false and hyped narratives built around certain tentpole event films which in reality turn out to be a hoax.
There’s also the matter of what works better on social media these days. Lack of genuine and creative storytelling to favour the social media trends and buzz has become a sad reality of current times.
The OTT platforms might have some role in all this but they aren’t the villain they are made out to be. Films failing are more to do with the lack of new and good stories, weak narratives, poor performances and the overall packaging. It’s high time for fresh, unique narratives to find way to the big screen rather than those stale, over the top hero centric or remake stuff.