Showing posts with label Rajesh Nair. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rajesh Nair. Show all posts
Bollywood's shift to streaming giants raises concerns over content diversity, market control
8:46 AM
As OTT space turns into a concentrated buyers’ market, Hindi film producers find less room for negotiation, creativity
Rajesh N Naidu (THE ECONOMIC TIMES; March 3, 2025)
Bollywood's shift from a competitive content market to one controlled by a few major streaming platforms has raised major concerns among producers and industry players, mirroring the era when satellite rights dominated revenue streams, shaping content choices as filmmakers tailored films for family audiences.
The repeated failure of small- and big-ticket films has skewed the market in favour of a few deep-pocketed streamers such as Netflix, Prime Video and JioHotstar (see chart).
Three years ago, the industry was in a sellers' market, where producers and filmmakers had plenty of options to secure funding. With at least 10 mainstream streamers and a strong presence of production houses and studios actively creating and acquiring content, there was healthy competition, giving content creators more bargaining power.
In its latest research, media and entertainment research firm Ormax Media said the combined share of acquiring theatrical releases across languages of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video has jumped to a whopping 76% in 2024 from 60% in 2022, indicating a creation of a duopolistic market.
After the pandemic, the film industry saw a major shift as a handful of deep-pocketed streamers managed to survive the repeated flops of big-budget films, while many others struggled. Some streamers pulled back on content creation and acquisition, while production houses and studios took a cautious approach, pausing new projects. With fewer players left standing, the market became more concentrated, giving the surviving streamers even greater control.
Producer Rajesh R Nair, known for films such as 'Kaminey' and 'Adipurush', said, "The industry has transformed into a buyers' market. A few streamers are negotiating hard and calling the shots. Producers are making films for streamers rather than theatres."
He added that today a conversation about a film starts with knowing whether a streamer is attached to the film.
With just a few streamers in control, content buying and production have slowed, limiting the variety of films being made. As a result, producers are making fewer films, reducing the number of new releases on both streaming platforms and in theatres. This downturn has hit exhibitors hard, forcing them to re-release older films just to cover their high fixed costs.
According to Ormax Media, the number of Hindi films released directly on streaming platforms dropped sharply from 53 in 2021 to just 18 in 2024.
"Big production houses provide streamers some good content. But streamers also buy not-so-great content from them. Streamers must train their acquisition teams in developing a strong sense of aesthetics and creativity. This will help them create and acquire content which will appeal to a large base of audiences," said Shrirang Nargund, a veteran and independent consultant on streaming business.
He added, there was enough strong content from mid-and-small-sized production houses and streamers should be bolder in their choice of content.
One upside of a concentrated buyers' market is that streamers have become more disciplined with costs. Nargund noted that content budgets have been slashed by 40%, with a direct impact on actor remuneration. "Today, streamers are more cautious with spending. A film only moves forward if an actor agrees to take a share of the profits instead of an upfront fee. Producers often have to negotiate with actors who are hesitant to lower their steep fees, which also include the costs of their entourage," explained producer and film business expert Girish Johar.
Veteran producers said that the best way to address these challenges is to return to the traditional model-making films for theatres first and then generating additional revenue through rights sales.
Dubbed Hindi films on a roll, clock 5x surge in box office collections
7:55 AM
Rajesh N Naidu (THE ECONOMIC TIMES; January 20, 2025)
Films dubbed in Hindi saw a nearly fivefold jump in collection to Rs 1,464 crore in 2024 from Rs 295 crore, according to the 2024 Box Office Report of media and entertainment research and consulting firm Ormax Media.
On the other hand, films made in Hindi language saw a 37% dip in collection to Rs 3215 crore from Rs 5085 crore in the previous year.
The share of dubbed Hindi films in the total collection of films in Hindi language surged to 31.2% in 2024 from about 6% in 2023, according to the report.
“The increasing contribution of dubbed films to the Hindi box office can be attributed to successful storytelling in south Indian films, particularly Telugu cinema. This aligns more closely with the evolving preferences of Hindi theatrical audiences and their perception of ‘theatrical worthiness’ of films,” said Sanket Kulkarni, head of business development (theatrical), at Ormax Media.
“Increasing viewership of films on streaming platforms and box-office successes of several dubbed films have encouraged exploration of diverse cinemas beyond Hindi. These factors have greatly increased audience comfort of watching dubbed content in theatres.”
Among the dubbed southern films released in 2024, Pushpa 2 – The Rule contributed Rs 889 crore and Kalki 2898 AD contributed Rs 348 crore to the Hindi film collection.
Producer Rajesh R Nair, known for films such as Kaminey and Adipurush, said, “Today, southern films are targeting the northern Hindi market. After Allu Arjun released Pushpa 2 – The Rule’s trailer in Patna, Bihar, Telugu actor Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi released a song of their upcoming film Thandel in Varanasi. This strategy is working because the audience in the northern market knows them.”
He added, “Crossover southern films are giving much better content than Hindi films in the past two to three years. Recently, makers of Pushpa 2: The Rule added 20 minutes to their film and released it in theatres. This addition has increased a day’s collection by two times in the past two days. This shows how audiences are clued into dubbed Hindi films.”
Trade analysts estimate that the collection of the dubbed Hindi Pushpa 2 – The Rule jumped to Rs 45-50 lakh from Rs 15 lakh between Friday and Saturday. Even a mid-budget Malayalam film Marco, which was hardly promoted before its release, has attracted audiences and collected Rs 13 crore in its Hindi dubbed version.
Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder and director, Karmic Films, said, “South Indian cinema continues to transcend boundaries, captivating audiences across India. Blockbusters like Pushpa 2: The Rule, Kalki 2898 AD, Maharaja and Jailer have redefined pan-India success with their gripping stories, breathtaking visuals and unmatched appeal in Hindi-dubbed versions, proving that great cinema speaks a universal language.”
He further said, “As 2025 unfolds, south Indian cinema promises another wave of box-office triumphs. With highly anticipated releases like Coolie, L2: Empuraan, Kantara: Chapter 2 and Thug Life, the stage is set for these films to captivate audiences, redefine storytelling and continue the legacy of pan-India success in Hindi-dubbed versions.”
Producer Rajesh R Nair concurred, saying, “I think the contribution of dubbed Hindi films to the total Hindi collection will grow much higher than their contribution in 2024. But more than dubbed Hindi films, in 2025, we will also see southern actors in pivotal roles in Hindi films. A lot of conversations are happening on these lines in the industry. So, the crossover is becoming larger.”
One of the biggest Hindi releases of 2025, War 2, has Telugu actor NT Rama Rao Jr. Besides, Kannada actor Rishab Shetty will play Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the upcoming biopic The Pride of Bharat: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Panorama Studios to remake Turkish film Dabbe
8:53 AM
Panorama Studios to remake Turkish film Dabbe, unveils movie franchise with a combination of horror and black magic themes
Rajesh N Naidu (THE ECONOMIC TIMES; January 15, 2025)
Mumbai: Production and distribution company Panorama Studios will remake Turkish film Dabbe in Hindi, as the production and distribution house known for movies such as Drishyam, Raid and Shaitaan prepares to create a full-fledged horror film franchise.
"The Turkish horror film Dabbe has a gripping narrative and cultural nuances that make its horror deeply unsettling," said Panorama Studios chairman Kumar Mangat Pathak. "We saw an opportunity to adapt its unique storytelling to connect with Indian audiences while preserving the essence of what made it so impactful."
The company will create a horror cinematic universe that will deal with a combination of horror and black magic themes, he said.
Panorama Studios will be the second production company to create a franchise specifically dedicated to the horror genre in India. Recently, Maddock Films - known for producing one of the biggest blockbusters in Hindi, Stree 2 - announced a slate of eight new films which will be expanding its well-established horror movie series such as Stree, Munjya and Bhediya in the next three years.
Apart from the Dabbe remake, Panorama Studios plans to build a franchise of the movie Shaitaan, which will include two additional films. It also plans to remake Shaitaan in Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam. Recently, the studio announced a horror comedy film, Jhalak.
"Audience for horror films in India is quite large. The appetite for these films is very high. Importantly, the theme pulls audiences to theatres. But very few horror films are being made in Hindi," said producer Rajesh Nair, known for films such as Kaminey and Adipurush.
"A horror film works well if it gets the three elements right: good writing, thrills and, of course, the horror in the film. A clear example is the film Munjya, which had no stars or known faces. It worked on the power of its storytelling," he said, adding: "These are actually grandmother tales, which never fail in their charm and pull. Problems arise when makers focus away from writing and try to make 'projects' out of these films by making them bigger in scale."
It is estimated that a horror film combined with different genres such as comedy, drama and thriller generally attracts at least 25% higher footfalls in theatres than a non-horror film. Also, a concept-based horror movie does not entail high investments like a spectacle or epic film.
"The horror genre is the most profitable across languages not only in India but also Hollywood. In fact, Blumhouse Productions in Hollywood is an entire production house dedicated to horror films," said producer and film business expert Girish Johar. "I think horror films will revive the sentiment in the industry which is in doldrums right now."
Last year, the theme of horror ruled not only the Hindi box office but also in the southern markets. In Hindi, films such as Stree 2, Shaitaan, Munjya and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 performed well, while Bramayugam and Aranmanai 4 recorded high collections in the South.
Interestingly, the re-released horror film Tumbbad (2018) collected Rs. 52.2 crore at the box office. The horror genre has caught on so well in the Indian film industry that makers are experimenting with it by combining it with different genres. Recently, a sea-horror action-adventure trilogy called Kingston was announced, which will be released in Telugu and Hindi in March this year.
Hansal Mehta loses Sarabit Singh biopic to Mary Kom director Omung Kumar
7:51 AM
Omung Kumar will start shooting the film in October and plans to send it to Cannes next year; his producer-partner Zeishan Quadri says it was premature of Hansal to announce himself as director
Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 8, 2015)
In an interview to Mirror (April 16), just before he flew off to Europe and the US for a vacation, Hansal Mehta had admitted that his biopic on mountaineer Bachendri Pal with Kangana Ranaut was not happening. "I came across a better story and took it to Kangana who agreed instantly to act in it," he informed, acknowledging that he was talking about the Sarabjit Singh biopic. "We roll in the first week of October."
Now, Mirror has learnt that while the film will kick off on schedule, it will not be helmed by the National Award winning director of Shahid but by Omung Kumar who last Sunday received the National Award for Best Popular Film of 2013 for his directorial debut, Mary Kom.
Omung confirmed the news, saying, "Yes, I will be directing and co-producing Sarabjit. Even Though I have three scripts lined up, this will be my next film after Mary Kom."
Earlier Mirror (October 9, 2013) had reported that Subhash Ghai had roped in Sonakshi Sinha to play Sarabjit's sister, Dalbir, for a film on Sarabjit being produced by his banner, Mukta Arts. It was scripted by Rajesh Beri four years ago and ad filmmaker Ishwar Singh Muchla was to roll with it in early 2014. The project was subsequently shelved by the banner.
However, when Rajesh Nair, COO of Mukta Arts, joined Zeishan's production house, he mentioned Sarabjit to him. And last year, Zeishan bought the rights from Beri and Ghai and got Nair involved with the creative.
"We approached several directors besides Hansal but had not signed anyone. It was premature of Hansal to make an announcement. We finalised Omung last Tuesday. He's the perfect choice because Mary Kom was both a critically acclaimed film and a commercial success," asserts Zeishan.
Hansal who's in Paris, was shocked by the news and reacted to it saying, "Am out of the country. Have no idea where this came from."
When asked if he could still make the film with another producer, Zeishan retorted, "No, the rights are with us. We also have an NOC from Sarabjit's sister and the family. The film will go on floors in the first week of October with a start-to-finish 60-day schedule. It will be shot in and around Punjab. We want to send it to Cannes and release it by the end of May 2016."
Though the film is Sarabjit's story, it will be told through the eyes of his sister, Dalbir Kaur, who after he was convicted of terrorism and spying by the Pakistani court and sentenced to death in 1991, started a campaign for his release. Thanks to her efforts and that of the Indian government, Sarabjit's execution was indefinitely delayed. But he was attacked on April 26, 2013 in the Central Jail Lahore and on May 1, was declared brain dead. The following day, he was reported to have died at 12.45 am, and his body was flown back to India where a second autopsy revealed that his vital organs were missing and his skull was broken into two.
Will Kangana still play Sarabjit's sister Dalbir Kaur? "We'd love to work with Kangana," says Zeishan. "I've seen her on the sets of Revolver Rani, she gives everything she has to a role. But we have not yet finalised any actor so far which is why I wouldn't want to make a premature announcement."
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