The move was expected to ruffle some feathers. But when it finally happened after much discussions in the past two months, the response has been alarming.
Ever since the lockdown induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, film industry has been talking about the future of cinema and if digital release is the way ahead. While exhibitors have appealed to the makers to wait for a favourable time and release films in theatres, the latter have been weighing their options and considering alternatives.
There have been many conjectures, and release of many of the big-star movies, including Laxmmi Bomb, Gulabo Sitabo and Brahmastra, were being talked about. After weeks of rumours, on May 14, there was clarity on at least one. The Ayushmann Khurrana-Amitabh Bachchan starrer Gulabo Sitabo, directed by Shoojit Sircar, originally slated for release in the theatres on April 17, would now go straight to digital on Amazon Prime Video on June 12.
On May 15, Amazon Prime Video announced that six more movies—Anu Menon’s Shakuntala Devi starring Vidya Balan, legal drama Ponmagal Vandhal starring Jyotika, Keerthy Suresh starrer Penguin (Tamil and Telugu), Sufiyum Sujatayum (Malayalam), Law (Kannada) and French Biryani (Kannada)—will be premiered on the platform over the next three months.
But between the two announcements, much had transpired. The multiplex chains expressed displeasure over the development. In a statement, INOX noted: “INOX would like to express extreme displeasure and disappointment on an announcement made by a production house today, to release their movie directly on an OTT platform by skipping the theatrical window run. The decision of the production house to deviate from the globally prevalent content windowing practice is alarming and disconcerting.” Such acts, the statement said, “though isolated, vitiate the atmosphere of mutual partnership and paint these content producers as fair-weather friends rather than all-weather life-long partners. Needless to say, INOX will be constrained to examine its options, and reserves all rights, including taking retributive measures, in dealing with such fair-weather friends.”
The exacting words in the statement soon had a spiral effect with content producers taking to social media platforms to express annoyance, and in some case also to point out how the multiplexes often “overcharge” for food and beverage. The Producer’s Guild of India released a statement saying when it comes to financial losses, the situation of the producers is no different from exhibitors. “Statements that call for ‘retributive measures’ against producers who decide to take their movies direct to OTT platforms – especially at a time when cinemas are unfortunately closed for the foreseeable future – do not lend themselves to a constructive or collaborative dialogue on the way forward for the industry.”
Shibasish Sarkar, group chief executive officer, content, digital & gaming at Reliance Entertainment, said he isn’t surprised with the reactions. He pointed out that the exhibition sector is equally bleeding, and in a situation like this, they too would need content. “Their disappointment is understandable. Perhaps, both the sides are right in their point of views. What definitely was not expected was the tonality of address (of INOX). It should not have been there. Honestly, if you look at the overall ecosystem, we all are inter-dependent. For a producer to survive, the exhibition segment is really important and the exhibitors certainly require the content to run (their business). But at the same time, for a producer, at a time when there is no clarity on the timeline—we are looking at for things to open up and run normally—they have to weigh their (other) options,” said Sarkar, adding that the producers have invested money, there is cost on capital, and salaries that need to be taken care of.
“Everyone is hit by the pandemic, including the exhibitors. But if the producers have taken a call to go straight to digital, probably that was required for them to do so. May be it is not possible for them to wait for a longer period,” he said.
Mohan Umrotkar, chief executive officer, Carnival Cinemas, though disappointed with the move of the filmmakers to go straight to digital, said he understands the financial burden/compulsion that one may have in these times. However, he pointed out that even in the past, there have been a few cases of filmmakers facing failure when they opted for digital release, skipping the theatrical run. “But in making of a film, there is a cost involved. And looking at the current situation, you never know when it will improve. Even when it does, cinema and sports events are not going to be the priorities immediately. As of now, we are expecting cinemas to open without any restrictions by August 15,” he said, adding that once that happens, there will be a huge number of films awaiting release with the big ticket films claiming the dates of their choice, and there are makers who would wait because they have made films with a theatrical release in mind.
“What we believe is that all filmmakers, when they make a film for a theatrical release, their first aspiration is to show the film on a large screen. Reliance has individually spoken to all the filmmakers about what they want, and has realized that everyone has a different timeline in mind. I, as a producer, individually would move backward and forward to accommodate their aspiration to whatever extent possible because we all survive on creative people’s support. If a creative person’s aspiration is to take the film to a large screen, we would concede,” said Sarkar talking about the films that Reliance has in its kitty – Hindi films (Sooryavanshi, 83, Girl On The Train and Anurag Kashyap’s next) and three Tamil films.
“Our internal take is also that we have made spectacles like 83 and Sooryavanshi for the larger screen experience. We will try to hold these films till it is possible for us,” he said, however, taking into cognizance an organisation’s ability to financially survive in these times. “No one is sure about the situation and how is it going to pan out – whether it a two-month, four-month or one-year. No one has the clarity. For the time being, we plan to hold on to the films and we will keep reviewing the situation every two-three months. If a situation comes where we feel that the films will lose relevance and start looking stale, then may be we will take it to a smaller platform where it would reach the same audience. But currently, we aren’t looking at any of those options.”
Umrotkar said a few small or mid-budget films releasing on streaming services is not really going to impact the theatre business much. Looking at it from a practical point of view, he pointed out that there is going to be a struggle to find dates with so many movies lined-up for release and so many already in the making. “Yes, we would have lost on releasing a few good films with the new development, but it is not going to be easy to accommodate all the films in the limited window anyway,” he said, adding that Gulabo Sitabo or for that matter even Laxmmi Bomb (for which, reportedly, talks for a digital release are on) are not films that you know are going to make a lot of money at the box office. “They have bankable stars, but the subjects are unconventional. One is never sure whether they will really work.”
