‘Certain films don’t end up getting their due in theatres’
The theatre vs OTT debate is picking up heat, with more bigbudget films including such as Akshay Kumar’s Laxmmi Bomb and Ajay Devgn’s Bhuj: The Pride of India, among many others, heading for a direct-to-OTT release, after Amitabh Bachchan’s Gulabo Sitabo.
Ask actor Sobhita Dhulipala — who made a big splash on the web with the series Made in Heaven — about her opinion, and she says, “I’ve had the chance to act in films and on web, so for me, there’s a natural affinity for both. I don’t really look at one as a downgrade or the other as an upgrade. I’m a consumer of both, and a contributor, too; so it’s very difficult for me to have a preference.”
However, she adds that there are times when releasing on OTT makes for a wise decision. “Certain films don’t end up getting their due in theatres because they don’t get enough run time, enough marketing resources, or other things. As a consumer, I want interesting content. Since I’m not able to watch them in the theatres, I’d watch them on my TV or laptops,” admits the 28-yearold, clarifying that while she can answer like an audience, but “as an industry person, I don’t know”.
Dhulipala, who was last seen in The Body, which was made available on OTT platform soon after release, feels that films that aren’t big might benefit from a digital release. “It’s a logical decision,” she says, adding, “I feel like the not very expensive films, to sort of not lose their money and time, want to come out on OTT platforms. It’s understandable.” She concludes by saying that she can relate to them, “because that’s the boat I’m more closer to getting on to, like in terms of scale of films I’ve done”.