Not too long ago, going to the movies was an event. You’d gather your friends, argue over showtimes, queue up for overpriced popcorn, and soak in the magic of the big screen. But somewhere along the way, the ritual quietly changed. Now, cinema lives in your pocket.
At WAVES Summit 2025, Aamir Khan, an actor who once defined the big-screen experience, spoke with disarming honesty about this shift. “Why would someone pay for a movie ticket,” he asked, “when they can wait a few weeks and stream it at home?” He’s not wrong. Today’s audience is smart, selective, and comfortable. You don’t need to book a cab, stand in line, or check show timings anymore. You just tap, play, and relax.
And that’s a big deal.
OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and their fast-growing competitors haven’t just changed how we watch, they’ve redefined what we expect. High-budget series, film premieres, and global content now reach us faster than ever. Aamir even joked that promoting films feels like asking people to stay home if they already have the right subscription. It’s funny, but it cuts deep.
Because theatres are bleeding. Last year saw a 6% drop in footfalls, and for an industry built on crowds, that’s a loud silence. Streaming services now generate 1.5 times the revenue of traditional cinema. That’s not competition, it’s a takeover.
But here’s the twist: OTT isn’t killing cinema. It’s keeping it alive. At a time when attention spans are scattered and the content race is brutal, OTT platforms have become the lifeline for filmmakers, actors, and audiences hungry for stories. It’s given rise to fresh voices, experimental formats, and global storytelling that a single theatrical release couldn’t support.
Yes, the magic of the theatre is hard to replicate. No streaming app can match the goosebumps of watching something unfold on a 70-foot screen with strangers who gasp, laugh, and cry with you. But maybe, that’s okay. Maybe theatres don’t need to win. They just need to matter.
Cinema isn’t dying. It’s evolving. And maybe, just maybe, the big screen and the small screen aren’t enemies. They’re chapters in the same love story, just told in different ways.