Stream today, save cinemas tomorrow

In 2020 when Gulabo Sitabo became the first Bollywood film to bypass a theatrical run for a digital premiere exhibitors and distributors across the country were enraged with a leading multiplex chain warning of ldquoretributive measuresrdquo A year and two severe waves of pandemic later trade analysts and exhibitors seem to have softened their stanceSherni will stream on Amazon Prime VideoWith Vidya Balanrsquos Sherni becoming the latest film to be OTTbound exhibitors are viewing the digital route as a favourable option that keeps the wheels of the business turningVishek Chauhan who owns cinemas in Bihar explains ldquoWhatrsquos the point of holding on to films Sooryavanshirsquos trailer was released in March 2020 We are in May 2021 and the film is beginning to get dated Irsquod be okay if the makers decided to go the OTT way We can only hope that theatres will be functional like before by Diwali this year Akshay Kumar has completed Bell Bottom Prithviraj and Raksha Bandhan which can enjoy theatrical run if things improverdquo Chauhan emphasises that survival of the primary stakeholders mdash which consists of directors and producers mdash is the need of the hour ldquoThe industry is reeling under economic strain For the cash flow to continue if makers decide to give their film to an OTT platform it is understandable The money that they make off the OTT release will be pumped back into making their next film which will open in theatresrdquoRumours are rife that Shilpa Shetty Kundrarsquos Hungama 2 and Saif Ali Khanstarrer Bhoot Police are also considering taking the web route Exhibitor Akshaye Rathi who has a chain of cinemas in Maharashtra Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh says the move will help movie halls in the long run ldquoThere is no doubt that theatres will be back with a bang But the big question is when will things settle leaving people comfortable to go back to halls In the current scenario every business in the entertainment sector is only trying to survive mdash be it us or the producers I hope that whenever cinemas open there is enough content to have them up and runningrdquoShettyrsquos Hungama 2 may go the OTT wayHowever a section of multiplex owners are standing their ground Kunal Sawhney senior vice president operations Carnival Cinemas says ldquoI wouldnrsquot want a movie to release on an OTT platform but it also depends on the amount the producers have invested and their holding capacity That said the big movies havenrsquot been appreciated on OTT From Laxmmi to Radhe these films wouldnrsquot have fared as badly in movie halls because there are viewers who like the communityviewing experience more than the film itselfrdquoAlso Read Catch22 for cinemas rise in COVID cases a huge problem for exhibitors