Industry insiders say that releasing smaller-budget movies on OTT platforms could be an option for filmmakers given the ongoing lockdown
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; April 12, 2020)

With the ongoing nationwide lockdown, Bollywood is surrounded by uncertainty. Losses are shooting up, and the trade fears that the upcoming months will see a tough run at the box office. Over a fortnight ago, Universal Pictures in the US had decided to release one of their fresh movies, Trolls World Tour, online and in theatres simultaneously, on Friday, April 10. However, the film ended up on home entertainment platforms with no theatrical release. The studio has also pushed some of its in-theatre films like The Invisible Man, The Hunt and Emma, on home-video platforms. Studios like Paramount and Disney have also released their films (The Lovebirds and Artemis Fowl, respectively) directly on streaming platforms.

FILMS THAT MOVED TO OTT AFTER THE LOCKDOWN HALTED THEIR THEATRICAL RUN
Closer home, Irrfan-starrer Angrezi Medium, which released on March 13, registered a short run at the BO amidst the Coronavirus crisis. Though producer Dinesh Vijan had expressed the desire to re-release the film in theatres post the lockdown, in the current scenario, it has been released on the OTT platform. The Tamil remake of Vicky Donor, Dharala Prabhu, and Telugu thriller Madha faced the same problem. The question is, will this become a trend in India, where small and medium-budget films made for a theatrical release open straight on OTT platforms for a premium fee?

TOP ACTORS DON’T WANT THEIR FILMS TO RELEASE ON OTT DIRECTLY: TRADE
Trade analyst Komal Nahta says, “We will witness many BO clashes. The bigger films will have to wait for the overseas markets to also normalise before starting promotions. So, while a big film may not readily consider an OTT release as an option, if things get tougher, mid-ranged and smaller films could explore it to recover investments.” Independent distributor and trade analyst Amod Mehra says, “It won’t be easy, because top actors don’t want their films to release on OTT directly.”

Hindi films that release theatrically can be made available on an OTT platform only after six-eight weeks of release, according to a contract with exhibitors. It’s six weeks or 90 days in the US market, too. Shibasish Sarkar, Group CEO, Content, Digital & Gaming at Reliance Entertainment, which is backing Kabir Khan’s '83 (which was to release in theatres on April 10), adds, “We will end up with a clogged release window when things open up. I won’t be surprised if some mid and small-budget films go straight for digital release. Not every producer has the capacity to hold on to a film for very long. Also, if some important films move to OTT directly, it might lead to a new consumption pattern.”