Have you ever noticed how we say we want something, but act the opposite?
It’s kind of like saying you miss home-cooked meals, but every night you order pizza.
That’s what we’ve done with movies.
We keep complaining that there’s “nothing new” in theatres. That it’s all sequels, remakes, or big action films. But think about it, when was the last time you actually went to the theatre to watch something original?
Let’s take the recent Laapata Ladies, the film got huge buzz on Netflix, but in terms of the theatrical run, it was so underwhelming.
It’s like finding a cool new restaurant only after it goes viral on Instagram.
Same thing happened with Tumbbad. A one-of-a-kind film. Dark, haunting, and visually stunning. Barely made any money in theatres. But go on Prime Video, and people call it a masterpiece.
Another example is Three of Us, yet another OTT success that underperformed in theatres. The same thing happened with Kill, which generated excitement among the audience, but the theatrical experience was underwhelming once again.
Why is that?
Because somewhere along the way, we decided the theatre is only worth it for “big” films. The kind with stars, VFX, and guaranteed thrills. Everything else? “I’ll watch it later online.”
But it wasn’t always like this. Remember Iqbal, Udaan, or Aamir? No superheroes. No famous faces. Just heartfelt stories. And still, people showed up in theatres. Back then, the big screen felt like a place for discovery.
So, what changed?
Well, ticket prices went up. OTT platforms became comfy. And slowly, we stopped taking risks.
Think about it, have you ever skipped a movie in theatres thinking, “It’ll come to streaming soon”? That mindset is what’s keeping fresh stories off the big screen.
We do want originality. But only when it’s safe, cheap, and available at home. That’s like wanting adventure but never leaving your couch.
So here’s the real question: Do we really value originality, or just the idea of it?
If we want theatres to show new, bold stories again, we can’t wait for filmmakers to change.
We have to go first.
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