Forty six filmmakers have stepped forward together because they feel something is breaking in the way India treats its own stories. Their statement is not just about one film. It comes from years of watching powerful, personal work travel the world and return home only to be pushed into quiet corners of theatres where almost no one can find it. Kanu Behl’s Agra became the latest example. It earned praise at Cannes yet barely found a fair slot in multiplexes here.
The part that hurts most, according to these filmmakers, is what happens after. Once the film struggles in theatres, OTT platforms often step back, using box office numbers as a filter for deciding what to buy. It creates a loop that feels impossible to break. A film does not get enough screenings. Audiences cannot reach it. The box office stays low. OTT platforms say no. And the film disappears. For the people who make these films, this is not just a business problem. It is the feeling of watching their work be silenced before it ever had a chance to breathe.
Their plea for OTT acquisition parity comes from this emotional space. They are asking platforms to look at more than ticket sales. They want them to recognise the heart of a film, the journey it has taken, the voices it represents, and the audiences who may find it later if only given the chance. Indie films often build their life through word of mouth and through viewers who look for something honest. If OTT platforms give them that door, these stories will survive.
The filmmakers are not demanding special treatment. They are asking for a fair path so Indian audiences can finally discover Indian films that speak in new and brave ways. They are asking for space. And a little patience.
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