There’s a major shift happening these days in the film industry. Films are foregoing a theatrical release for Direct-to-digital release on OTT platforms due to the current pandemic-induced restrictions in place.
This move has helped streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Sony LIV and Zee5 to release a host of exclusive content driven films such as ‘Axone‘, ‘Chintu Ka Birthday‘, ‘Bhonsle’, ‘Chaman Bahar’, ‘Yaara’ and ‘Bamfad’ among many others.
Such movies don’t necessarily have big budgets to wait for the situation to calm down and release in theatres after the lockdown. If they do wait and release them eventually there’s no guarantee that they will get the response they deserve or need for the film to be profitable.
In such a case it’s a sound decision to sell the rights of the film to an OTT platform that has a strong user base and where the makers can get an assurance of cost recovery as well as widespread viewership.
If OTT platforms prove to be successful for such content films in their viewership and reach then they can sustain this model and give a fierce competition to traditional theatres.
These releases might provide a way for the platforms to become established in rural areas and become the go-to for all content consumption in India.
This is only possible if these platforms ensure a steady stream of unreleased films with good storylines and engaging narratives that can keep viewers hooked even beyond the global lockdown when theatres will start opening up.
Ultimately whether a film is better suited for a digital release or a theatre release depends on the makers and producers of the film but the important thing is that the audience connects to and likes the film no matter the screen size.
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