Content does all the talking on OTT — this is the popular notion that has been attached to the medium for some time now. The OTT boom that was witnessed during the pandemic further strengthened this belief as a barrage of fresh and unique content flooded the web space. However, is the scenario still the same, now that theatres have become operational again? Is it still easy for small films, which are driven by good content, to get an OTT release? Experts weigh in.

Recently, Manoj Bajpayee told us in an interview that it’s a struggle to release films regardless of the medium. He said, “What I have gone through in getting films like Aligarh (2016) and Bhonsle (2020) to cinema halls, and then OTT, has been quite a journey. One gets tired.” Attesting to the same, Devashish Makhija, director of Bhonsle, recalls, “Originally, we wanted a theatrical run, no matter how limited. But when Covid-19 hit, there was no scope for it. That’s when we got in talks with some OTT platforms.”

Makhija says the expectation for OTT to be a messiah for smaller films shouldn’t exist in the first place. “It’s filmmakers like us, who ascribe a lot of value to alternative mediums. I don’t remember OTT saying, ‘We are here to champion independent films’,” he says, and adds that they just got lucky as a newly-launched platform took a chance with them with Bhonsle. “Today, a big platform turns away original voices. They say, ‘We want to make money, we’re answerable to our bosses’,” he adds.

Echoing similar sentiments, Vinod Bachchan, who produced Jahaan Chaar Yaar, starring Swara Bhasker and Shikha Talsania, says he is yet to find an OTT platform for his film. “Sirf content criteria nahin hota. Many OTT platforms have grouped together. They don’t care whether the content is good or bad, but focus on stars,” he says.

However, there are also some makers, who have had a good experience on the medium in the recent times. Director Ratnaa Sinha, who created Middle-Class Love, starring newcomers Eisha Singh and Prit Kamani, says the journey becomes easier for a small film when a production house owning a streaming platform, gets on board. “It is really difficult to make a film with new faces. Very few people believed that we could actually pull it off. Once we got a producer on board, however, it was fine. They gave us a good theatrical release, and since they own an OTT platform, we will get a release there automatically,” she says.

Palash Muchhal, director of the film Ardh, says the trick for him was to not approach any OTT platform, but to instead produce the film and then present it to the web teams: “We decided that we will sell the rights to the first platform that approaches us. I produced the film by selling off my car, but made back double profit.”

How a film performs at the box office is also a parameter now for OTTs. Trade expert Atul Mohan says films, which failed to attract footfall, were let go of by streamers. “During Covid-19, majboori thi OTT platforms ki as there was a lot of demand. Later, they realised yeh film jiske liye humne Rs. 20 crores diye, yeh toh Rs. 10 crores ke layak nahin thi. The journey is difficult for small films,” he says. Tara Vs Bilal was one such film whose OTT deal fell through after a dismal box-office run, a source reveals.

Actor Vineet Kumar Singh, whose film Siya got a theatrical release recently, says, “Things are changing fast. I’ve heard from people that streamers say, ‘Release in theatres first, we’ll take your film after that’.”