In 2020, when many summer releases featuring top stars and backed by renowned banners had initially begun to take the OTT route for release, it had caused a huge stir in the film exhibition market nationally. Until then, films would first open in theatres and would head to satellite channels and OTT platforms about eight weeks after the release. However, the release of films directly on OTT in the summer of 2020 had riled up the traditional distribution and exhibition business in the country.

Shoojit Sircar’s Gulabo Sitabo, featuring Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana, was the first film to announce its release date on OTT, followed by several others in quick succession. Two years later, the scenario has changed, and now there’s constant communication between filmmakers OTT platforms as well as exhibitors to figure out just how much time is right before a film heads from the big screen to the digital space.

With time, a few films opened in theatres in 2020, when cinemas were allowed to run at 50 per cent capacity, but they met with a lukewarm response. Post the second wave, when the lockdown was eased, films gradually began to make their way back to the theatres again. By then, it had been mutually decided between the producers, distributors and exhibitors that a film releasing in theatres will have a four-week window before it goes to an OTT platform. And eventually, when theatres were allowed to operate at 100 per cent capacity, the scenario changed yet again.

Two years later, there is talk of a new kind of understanding between filmmakers, OTT platforms and exhibitors. Devang Sampat, of Cinepolis Cinemas, says, “We had arrived at this when we were at the peak of the pandemic, with uncertainty looming large. The headcount was restricted, and people were not coming to theatres in large numbers, but that has clearly changed now.”

Kangana Ranaut’s Thalaivii, which had hit the screens in September last year, had reportedly broken the said four-week norm to release on OTT platforms in just 15 days of its theatrical run, which had led to a lot of heat between the said parties. On the other end is a film like '83, which was released on OTT three months after its theatrical release on December 24, owing to a court case that was later settled. Other than these, most Hindi films, including Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui, Sooryavanshi, Bellbottom, Satyameva Jayate 2, Bachchhan Paandey and Badhaai Do, have followed the four-week window norm. The subsequent OTT runs of the recently released, Jersey, and the forthcoming Ajay Devgn-starrer Runway 34, are yet to be announced.

Rakesh Sippy, a leading distributor, says, “The month-long window was the need of the hour two years ago. The recoveries were not clear, and one didn’t know if the audience would flock back and when. Films like RRR, Gangubai Kathiawadi and The Kashmir Files have done great business. The four-week window as an arrangement had a time cap, which came to an end at the end of March. Filmmakers, exhibitors and distributors will now have to come to a consensus at some point. It will now depend on a fresh set of negotiations whether we will settle at four weeks or escalate the window to six or eight weeks. In my opinion, this should be dealt with in a case-to-case manner to ensure no one in the chain takes an undue hit.”

Akshaye Rathi, an independent exhibitor with cinema chains spread across India, says, “As we get back to normalcy, the window between theatrical and OTT releases is quite likely to go back to the previously followed eight weeks. That will incentivize people to come to cinemas, which is the best medium for great content to be experienced. We are a little away from getting back to a mutually agreeable eight-week window. A lot of filmmakers are proactively following the idea already. Like S S Rajamouli had said that his film will not head to a satellite channel or an OTT platform for about 90 days after release. It’s a pragmatic call that helps filmmakers optimally monetize their business and exhibitors to incentivize people to come back to theatres.”