Is proximity to the audience still a guarantee of success?
The traditional belief within the film circuit has been that the closer it is to the average audience, the bigger the hit. The belief is now slowly being challenged with the advent of smartphones and the ease of watching movies at home. Now, one question arises: are films that reach audiences through OTT platforms considered successful, or is success still gauged by the ability to draw crowds to theaters?
Dil Raju’s Opinion: New Angle to the Controversy
This controversy was brewing but gained further ammunition with the comments of noted producer Dil Raju recently. He has expressed an opinion that it is the filmmakers who are keeping audiences away from theaters by releasing films on OTT platforms as early as four weeks following the theatrical release. People are not coming to the theaters because of this, said Dil Raju.
He says that it’s only if a movie is a visual spectacle or hosts a favorite hero that people get forced to go and watch the movie running in theatres. Otherwise, when a film gets the slightest negative buzz on the opening day, people sit back and prefer watching it on OTT platforms. This changed behavior is impacting even the viability of super hit films in theaters. With digital deals being locked well in advance, filmmakers are honoring their commitments and releasing films on OTT platforms quicker, slowly making it difficult to sustain hit films in theaters, let alone flops.
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How the Industry Faces a Challenge in Balancing its Theatrical and OTT Releases
This is not an issue that is restricted to the Telugu cinema industry alone; neighbouring industries like Tamil and Malayalam are equally plagued. To preserve this theatre ecosystem and retain it for generations to come, analysts say producers need to sit across a table and discuss with OTT platforms. But producers are not ready to let go of the security that OTT deals bring in money-wise. The advice from industry experts is to learn from how other industries are maintaining this balance and apply those learnings locally.
The future of theatrical releases in the OTT age has been stuck in a dilemma, and equilibrium between these two modes of circulation is of prime importance for the continued betterment of the industry.
