Small and medium-budget films find it more challenging to compete at the box office, forcing them to distribute on streaming platforms.
Alia Bhatt’s Darlings, Mohanlal’s 12th Man and Kangana Ranaut’s Tiku Weds Shiru were all scheduled to be released in the theatres. Still, instead, they were released on digital platforms, according to trade experts. Producers are taking this step because they’ve realised that only blockbuster movies can bring in the big bucks, as seen by the lacklustre box office returns of recent releases like Anek, Jayeshbhai Jordaar, and Runway 34.
Despite well-known actors, the few medium-budget Hindi films that leapt to the big screen have had disappointing returns in recent weeks. Runway 34, Tiger Shroff’s Heropanti 2, Ajay Devgn, Ranveer Singh’s Jayeshbhai Jordaar, Ayushmann Khurrana’s Anek, and Shahid Kapoor’s Jersey are some of the best instances of this. Dhaakad, starring Kangana Ranaut, was a failure at the box office, grossing less than Rs. 3 crore, making post-theatrical OTT partnerships impossible, according to trade analysts.
In addition, these high-end Bollywood celebrities get a lot of support from the streaming platforms, which are willing to bankroll their films.” “It was revealed by an anonymous senior OTT platform executive who refused to be identified.
Small and medium-budget films, like Anek, are no longer eligible for cinema release after the epidemic, according to Sreedhar Pillai, an independent commercial analyst in India. In theory, a one-day run for a tiny film is possible. When you include distribution and marketing costs as well, no matter how excellent the material is, these efforts are a waste of time and money. “In response to this, Pillai stated his opinion.
A direct-to-digital release might potentially diminish a star’s theatrical clout on the one hand, while they do not want to be identified with box office failures on the other. Even mid-level performers in the Tamil and Telugu film industries do not want their films to be streamed straight to OTT. ” All heroes want to maintain their future as financially viable stars,” Pillai pointed out. The direct Netflix release of the Malayalam superhero picture Minnal Murali, for example, received a lot of interest. In contrast, the theatrical release of the follow-up film Naaradan, starring Tovino Thomas, was a flop.
To be clear, cinema owners for whom films are increasingly migrating straight to digital platforms do not portend good news, regardless of genre and magnitude of titles, major optimistic. “Pent-up demand among audiences who are glad to venture out and have a pleasant time with family is undeniable. Small and medium-sized Hindi films are just a matter of time away from achieving their full potential at the box office, “The CEO of PVR Pictures Ltd., Kamal Gianchandani, said.
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