What’s common among Shahid Kapoor-starrer Bloody Daddy, Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor-starrer Bawaal and Blind, featuring Sonam Kapoor Ahuja? Its makers ditched a big screen release and took the direct-to-OTT route. Amid the supposed resurgence of the box office, looks like makers consider the web a safer bet to release films.

The box-office performance of Indian films has marginally dipped, though Hindi movies have shown improvement, according to Ormax Media’s bi-annual report. Could this be a reason for the increase in the number of web-first releases?

Trade expert Atul Mohan says, “Makers feel going to OTT is a safer bet and streaming platforms also want big names, to get subscribers. When makers sense a film will not work, they strike a deal with a streaming platform and also save money on marketing. If the budget of a film is Rs. 65 crore, they usually spend Rs. 10-15 crore on promotions.”

According to Manish Kalra, chief business officer at ZEE5 India, the trend has a lot to do with the creative freedom the web offers: “From Salman Khan’s Radhe (2021) to recent hits Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai (starring Manoj Bajpayee) and Tarla (featuring Huma Qureshi and Sharib Hashmi), the [web] space provides creators a platform to connect with the audience, map preferences and bring stories with more compelling narratives.”

Trade expert Taran Adarsh feels what’s meant for the big screen should head there: “For instance, in the case of Zara Hatke Zara Bachke, a lot of people said it is meant for OTT and that it will not make even Rs. 10 crore at the box office. But, it has made close to Rs. 90 crore, all because the producer took a big risk and released it in theatres. Makers should never underestimate the power of good cinema.”

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Whoever has put in money [in a film] should benefit, irrespective of the medium of release. I’d want all my films to be released on the big screen, but I understand the commercial aspect. So, as long as it is benefiting everybody and reaches viewers, I don’t mind where they (his films) release.

- Sharib Hashmi, actor

Producers are looking at the OTT space as a safer bet over the big screen. And that is fine. As long as a film is released somewhere... Kahin na aaye, usse better kahin toh release ho!

- Anees Bazmee, director

From series such as Mad Men, Friends and The Office to rom-coms of the ’90s and 2000s – streaming platforms have been offering a treasure trove of nostalgia to viewers. Streaming platforms’ heads say that they have been continuously expanding their library of old shows and films, keeping in mind the high engagement for this category of content. While in pre-streaming years, reruns on TV were quite common, today streaming platforms are rushing to create a library because the classics have a dedicated fan following.

Mansi Shrivastav, Senior Vice President Content Acquisitions, Alliances & Distribution, MX Player says, “People prefer watching evergreen blockbuster movies that score high on recall and familiarity. Besides, cult classics serve as a breather and become an easy solution to ‘what to watch?’ On MX, library movies from the ’90s and 2000s from both Hollywood and Bollywood are among high-performing content categories.”

Bollywood titles such as Andaaz, Raja Hindustani, Soldier and Baazigar; and Hollywood movies such as Anaconda, Karate Kid, Stuart Little and Street Fighter are popular on the platform.

A Netflix spokesperson adds, “Fans in India love the ability to watch and rewatch their favourite films and shows. We have been building a selection of licensed films and series from across the world from evergreens such as Dil Chahta Hai to international hits like Spider-Man: No Way Home.”

Popular nostalgic content on the platform include Friends, The Twilight Saga and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

Manish Kalra, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 India, says that nostalgic content always had its audience, but its availability and accessibility were limited before streaming platforms. He adds that they have witnessed that the audience is interested in older content. “The growth of in-home entertainment technologies and the popularity of family watch-time have lured back audiences to binge-watch titles from ’90s and 2000s, which, therefore, generate a sizable amount of engagement,” he adds.

Hindi TV serials of ’90s and 2000s like Hum Paanch and Hip Hip Hurray are popular on the platform.

On MUBI, there has been engagement on films by iconic directors like Krzysztof Kielowski, Satyajit Ray and Agnes Varda. A spokesperson from the platform says, “The reason nostalgia brings audiences together is that there is a sense of comfort and familiarity and we have an extensive library of renowned classics and movies by legendary filmmakers.”

French films top the popularity list on the platform, followed by English and Hindi. The platform has classics like Awara, Mirch Masala, and Salaam Bombay!

As soon as the Maharashtra government announced the reopening of theatres from October 22, countless Hindi films lined up for their turn on the big screen. Simultaneously, Amazon Prime Video and ZEE5 are gearing up for the digital premiere of two promising films ­­— Sardar Udham featuring Vicky Kaushal and Rashmi Rocket with Taapsee Pannu in the lead, respectively. At a time when all eyes are on the big-ticket theatrical outings, the two web platforms may have to launch an aggressive promotional campaign to ensure that their offerings are not lost in the noise.

Manish Kalra, chief business officer, ZEE5, says the streamer has a strong audience base, thanks to its diverse library. “For our latest title Helmet, we planned the #HelmetOn [campaign], [a series of] above- and below-the-line promotional activities covering social media, television, and out-of-home space,” he says.

It is not lost on the team at Amazon Prime India that the theatre-versus-OTT competition will, in the true sense, play out in the coming months. An insider says, “To generate buzz around Sardar Udham, the team is planning a massive event in the city, where they will recreate London. Going ahead, more films will resort to on-ground activities, besides chasing digital tie-ups and creating social media trends to ensure that their movies are a talking point.”

Shailesh Kapoor, CEO of media research firm Ormax, predicts that the small direct-to-web films will probably lose out in this race for eyeballs. “Shershaah broke out [online] in a big way in its second and third week. The upcoming theatrical releases won’t enjoy this luxury since there will be a new release every week. [Despite the disadvantage], films like Sooryavanshi and '83 will fare well because of their all-star cast. The pressure will be more on smaller films, lacking in star power, that are taking the OTT route.”

However, Varun Gupta of Max Marketing — that recently handled the promotions for Bhoot Police — states that theatrical outings have a tougher road ahead. “Every Friday has a big offering, right up till mid-2022. A cinema-going family can afford one major film [per month], so each movie has to fight for attention. [In contrast], an OTT outing targets more subscriptions. [With each film], they are luring people to the platform, not to the product.”

At a time when binge-watching shows has become the norm on streaming platforms, some players have been experimenting with the linear release format and opting for weekly episodes. This trend seems to be growing, especially since last year.

The popular Spanish series Money Heist is the latest to join the trend and release the final season in two volumes. Several web shows like Out Of Love season 2, Aspirants, WandaVision, and The Mandalorian also kept audiences on tenterhooks with weekly drops.

Talking about why this trend is growing, the spokesperson of Disney+ Hotstar explains, “While binge-watching has its advocates who prefer a thrilling start-to-finish journey, weekly episodic releases keep the conversations around a show going for longer. It gives viewers a chance to discuss the story and its nuances, share theories and speculate about potential arcs. It becomes a ritual for the fans.” The platform’s latest release, Mare Of Easttown, created a stir with weekly episodes.

The spokesperson adds, “We like using both models as they work well. Our international shows like WandaVision and The Falcon And The Winter Soldier and original series Out Of Love (S2) benefited from a weekly drop, whereas others like Special Ops and November Story were binge-watched. We will continue to try new and innovative formats of dropping content.”

According to Vijay Koshy, president and business head, TVF, the success of either of the release models depends on a lot of factors. “Market maturity is a factor, as OTTs in developed markets regularly do weekly releases, like Game Of Thrones and Lupin. Studio name also matters. HBO, Disney, etc. have a cult following and their audience lap their releases either way. And lastly, genre. A thriller/crime content tends to have the binge approach. But in developing markets like ours, it’s critical for platforms to ensure the audience watches the show after sampling the initial episodes, so nine out of 10 opt for binge drop.”

Will the trend gain any momentum? Manish Kalra, chief business officer, ZEE5 India, admits that while they tried the episodic route with their hit Abhay starring Kunal Kemmu, fans kept pushing for all episodes at once. He adds, “Last year, given the pandemic, some shows were released weekly/fortnightly. While this is an interesting trend, it will probably not stay for long. They create intrigue, but might not satiate the consumer’s curiosity.”

Actor Rasika Dugal, who starred in Out Of Love, reveals that weekly episodes made her peers and audiences impatient. She says, “My social media was flooded with comments saying ‘why weekly’, ‘where is the next episode’. But over the weeks, I think, some got used to it. Some friends and fans, however, refused to watch till all five episodes were out.”

Could weekly drops also be a tactic to spread the available content amid the Covid-era OTT boom? Koshy disagrees, “That strategy is unlikely to work on any subscription video on demand platform. Episodic releases in India, at best, work for shows that have a brand partner and YouTube as a platform, like the shows produced by TVF, such as Aspirants and Kota Factory. The two reasons here are the audience buildup and the brand requirement to sustain a long campaign.”