Actor Divyenndu’s film Thai Massage, which hit the theatres in November, saw a short theatre runtime and is already eyeing an OTT release. The film, about a 70-year-old man who suffers from erectile dysfunction, failed to work magic at the box office. Divyenndu feels the film’s success will be marked after its OTT release, and that will depend on the number of people who will watch it.

“From what I know, the film was a limited release. It will eventually come out on OTT and more people will be able to watch it in the comfort of their homes. So, for me, the actual success would be decided after it comes out online and then how many people watch it. The film’s views on OTT will give accurate data as to whether the audience have liked it or not,” he reasons.

Divyenndu wants his work to reach a wider audience, and he has no qualms admitting that OTT is the best way out to achieve this. “I do not want my producers to suffer loses, but as an actor, the box office collection does not interest me. I am concerned about more and more people watching my movie — be it in theatres or on OTT platforms. And that’s why I am glad that most [projects] have started choosing this method of limited release, followed by OTT release,” elaborates the actor.

Films releasing on streamers has resulted in another positive change, Divyenndu points out. “The success of your film or show is now decided by its shelf life, and OTT has increased that,” he says and goes on to cite example of his debut film, Pyaar Ka Punchnama (2011). “[It] wasn’t one of those films with a big first-day opening. Our Monday was better than our Friday... our Tuesday was better than our Sunday. The film eventually grew, and more and more people started watching it. With OTT, this has become a very common phenomenon now,” he says.

The actor is glad that web releases gives viewers a wider window of time to watch a show or film as per their convenience. “Hence, it’s no more the game of first day or first weekend. In fact, these were all marketing tools — as in, ‘Arrey hamaari film ne itna paisa kamaaya hai first day par.’ But right now, it’s more based on merit,” concludes the actor, who strongly believes in the coexistence of theatres and streaming platforms.