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FILMS FIND RESPITE ON OTT
With theatres being shut for the foreseeable future, makers are looking at ‘straight to igital’ releases for their movies
Radhika Bhirani
With the pall of uncertainty looming large over movies, a tectonic shift is underway in the film industry. Filmmakers aren’t just considering a direct-toOTT system, but also shrinking the eightith week window between theatrical and OTT release for their projects the world over.
Angrezi Medium, which became an immediate casualty of the theatre shutdown due to the Covid-19 scare, was to be rereleased, but has been put out on Disney+Hotstar. Dharala Prabhu, the Tamil remake of Hindi hit Vicky Donor (2012), is available on Amazon Prime Video, as is Telugu psychological thriller Madha. Bamfaad, which was to
mark actor
New mum Kalki Koechlin has been taking care of her two-month-old baby girl, Sappho, with her partner, Guy Hershberg, at home. “I am lucky to have a distraction in the form of Sappho. I am breast feeding exclusively, so I am with her full-time,” she says.
Stationed in Mumbai with Guy, her teenage brother, their house help and their dog, “who
Paresh Rawal’s son Aditya’s big screen debut, is now heading straight to OTT via Zee5. And there’s buzz that Tamil film Naragasooran will also meet a similar fate.
Bamfaad director Ranjan Chandel calls it a “smart move” and feels “everyone should think about it”. “People will not start going to theatres the day the doors open. Every house’s economy has been affected, so where’s the sentiment to buy movie tickets?” he adds.
While admitting that India is still a “traditional” market that hinges on a box office barometer for a film’s success, trade expert Girish Johar conjectures a surge in direct-toOTT plans, “provided it makes financial sense for both the producers and the sites”. is happy” to have them around, the actor remarks, “Sappho probably thinks that the whole world consists of just four people and a dog (laughs ).Iam thankful for this time because if I wasn’t in a lockdown, I would either be working and missing out on time with Sappho or would be at home
In the West, even big budget films aren’t being kept out of such decisions, says Shibasish Sarkar of Reliance Entertainment, pointing out Disney’s plan to release Frozen 2 on OTT three months earlier than scheduled, and Universal Pictures’ decision to put out its theatrical releases The Invisible Man, Emma., and The Hunt via on-demand services. Trolls World Tour will also become the latter’s first official day-and-date release on April 10.
“I won’t be surprised if Indian projects, too, start looking at straight to digital as an opportunity. But everyone will have to do their calculations,” says Sarkar. a feeling of FOMO.” Koechlin also admits that he is lucky to have her house elp’s support. The couple as stocked up on supplies nd is trying to step out as less s possible. She adds, “We step ut once in 10 days. hankfully, stores are right nder our building and my eighbour has been a huge help as they shop for us. I hope we will be more appreciative of quality time with our loved ones.”
The pandemic has taken the world by storm and Koechlin hopes it teaches people to appreciate the little things in life. She is also glad to see people helping and supporting the ones who are not as fortunate.