<p>This day was to come anyway. But COVID-19 seems to have advanced the arrival of a new way of watching movies.</p>.<p>Seven movies, including Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Gulabo Sitabo and Ponmagal Vandhal featuring Jyothika, will directly release on Amazon Prime Video, one of the top OTT platforms in the country, beginning May 29, without going through the cinema theatre ritual.</p>.<p>The direct premiere on OTT platforms is an indication of what the future has in store for the thriving entertainment industry in India. Sources in the film industry say other OTT platforms like Disney Hotstar are also in talks with several film producers of different languages for direct release.</p>.<p><strong>A big boon for producers</strong></p>.<p>Producers see it as a big boon as they can sell the rights of the movies and make instant money, while theatre owners see red with the latest development. Some producers, who have been struggling to get slots for their movies in cinema theatres for several months, are grabbing the opportunities that come their way from OTT platforms, which view Covid-19 lockdown as an opportunity to tap into the Indian film market.</p>.<p>Theatres across the country remain shut since March and there is no clarity of when they would reopen – this has made the producers embrace OTT platforms. The film industry had rejected film icon Kamal Haasan’s decision to premiere his 2013 movie Viswaroopam on Direct to Home (DTH) platform. But, seven years later, the same industry has come to embrace a similar idea.</p>.<p>While the direct-OTT release on Amazon Prime Video will begin on May 29 with the premiere of Ponmagal Vandhal starring popular Tamil actress Jyothika, Gulabo Sitabo featuring Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana will release on June 12.</p>.<p>Law and French Biryani, both Kannada movies, will release June 26 and July 24, respectively. The dates for the release of Shakuntala Devi (Hindi), and Sufiyum Sujatayum (Malayalam) is yet to be announced, while the bi-lingual Penguin (Tamil, Telugu) starring Keerthy Suresh will be released on June 19.</p>.<p>The movies will premiere exclusively on Prime Video and will be available in 200 countries and territories worldwide, the company said in a statement.</p>.<p>“Over the last 2 years, Prime Video has become the destination of choice for our customers to watch new releases, across the languages, within weeks of their theatrical release. Now we are taking this one step further, with seven of India’s most-anticipated films premiering exclusively on Prime Video, bringing the cinematic experience to their doorstep,” Vijay Subramaniam, Director, and Head, Content, Amazon Prime Video, India, said.</p>.<p><strong>‘OTT release a stop-gap arrangement’</strong></p>.<p>Rajsekar Pandian, Director & Co-Producer, 2D Entertainment Pvt Ltd that produced Ponmagal Vandhal, told DH that the direct release on OTT platforms is a “stop-gap” arrangement for producers who need financial resources to sustain till theatres open for films to be released.</p>.<p>“Producers have an enormous financial commitment as they have several projects in hand. Only if they have some source of income, they will be able to sustain. We have to sustain till the time theatres welcome the audience to view movies on the silver screen. The ball has to be kept rolling till then. Releasing on OTT platforms is an alternative arrangement that is being experimented because of the lockdown,” Pandian told DH.</p>.<p>However, multiplexes like INOX, PVR and theatre owners’ association in Tamil Nadu, which witnesses 200 to 250 film releases a year, have taken strong objections to release of feature films on OTT, saying it does not augur well for a mutually-beneficial relationship that producers and theater owners have enjoyed for long.</p>.<p>The Producers Guild of India also took objection to theatre owners and multiplexes calling for action against producers who release their films directly on OTT.</p>.<p>“…It is only natural that Producers who have already invested heavily in their films with theatrical revenue assumptions that are no longer feasible, will seek out all avenues available to recover their investment and to stay in business,” the statement read.</p>.<p>Tiruppur Subramanian of the Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners’ Association said producers releasing their movies directly on OTT platforms when every industry is suffering due to Covid-19 does not augur well.</p>.<p>“The OTT platforms have been there for the past three to four years and why did not the producers go there earlier? Why only now? This is against business ethics and we will take a call on how to deal with such producers’ after theaters open,” he told DH.</p>.<p><strong>‘OTTs cannot replace theaters’</strong></p>.<p>Another Tamil film producer, T Siva of Amma Creations, says theater owners need not fear due to the move as OTT platforms have limitations and will not have resources to buy big-budget movies that would eventually release only in theatres.</p>.<p>He also maintained that producers have every right to exploit their film in every possible way to recover the investment made in order to continue in the business.</p>.<p>“OTT platforms cannot buy all movies. They have their own limitations and cannot buy big-budget movies. Releasing movies on OTT platforms is just a stop-gap arrangement. And movies which do not get slots in theaters will obviously use such platforms. We still feel theatre owners are the final authority when it comes to movies,” Siva added.</p>.<p>Echoing Siva, Pandian said every producer invests crores of rupees in films only to release them in theaters so that people can view them on the silver screen.</p>.<p>“We will get back to releasing films in theatres when the screens open. If we do not explore other opportunities to survive till then, how we will cater to the theatres after the lockdown ends? It is a stop-gap arrangement to survive till theatres open,” Pandian added.</p>.<p>Insiders say OTT platforms movie rights for direct release will be of great help to newcomers who would want to showcase their talent.</p>.<p>“This would lead to these OTT platforms producing movies on their own which would help a lot of newcomers who are tired of making numerous trips to production houses. This is a clear path for aspiring directors as they know which door to knock,” an insider told DH.</p>
<p>This day was to come anyway. But COVID-19 seems to have advanced the arrival of a new way of watching movies.</p>.<p>Seven movies, including Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Gulabo Sitabo and Ponmagal Vandhal featuring Jyothika, will directly release on Amazon Prime Video, one of the top OTT platforms in the country, beginning May 29, without going through the cinema theatre ritual.</p>.<p>The direct premiere on OTT platforms is an indication of what the future has in store for the thriving entertainment industry in India. Sources in the film industry say other OTT platforms like Disney Hotstar are also in talks with several film producers of different languages for direct release.</p>.<p><strong>A big boon for producers</strong></p>.<p>Producers see it as a big boon as they can sell the rights of the movies and make instant money, while theatre owners see red with the latest development. Some producers, who have been struggling to get slots for their movies in cinema theatres for several months, are grabbing the opportunities that come their way from OTT platforms, which view Covid-19 lockdown as an opportunity to tap into the Indian film market.</p>.<p>Theatres across the country remain shut since March and there is no clarity of when they would reopen – this has made the producers embrace OTT platforms. The film industry had rejected film icon Kamal Haasan’s decision to premiere his 2013 movie Viswaroopam on Direct to Home (DTH) platform. But, seven years later, the same industry has come to embrace a similar idea.</p>.<p>While the direct-OTT release on Amazon Prime Video will begin on May 29 with the premiere of Ponmagal Vandhal starring popular Tamil actress Jyothika, Gulabo Sitabo featuring Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana will release on June 12.</p>.<p>Law and French Biryani, both Kannada movies, will release June 26 and July 24, respectively. The dates for the release of Shakuntala Devi (Hindi), and Sufiyum Sujatayum (Malayalam) is yet to be announced, while the bi-lingual Penguin (Tamil, Telugu) starring Keerthy Suresh will be released on June 19.</p>.<p>The movies will premiere exclusively on Prime Video and will be available in 200 countries and territories worldwide, the company said in a statement.</p>.<p>“Over the last 2 years, Prime Video has become the destination of choice for our customers to watch new releases, across the languages, within weeks of their theatrical release. Now we are taking this one step further, with seven of India’s most-anticipated films premiering exclusively on Prime Video, bringing the cinematic experience to their doorstep,” Vijay Subramaniam, Director, and Head, Content, Amazon Prime Video, India, said.</p>.<p><strong>‘OTT release a stop-gap arrangement’</strong></p>.<p>Rajsekar Pandian, Director & Co-Producer, 2D Entertainment Pvt Ltd that produced Ponmagal Vandhal, told DH that the direct release on OTT platforms is a “stop-gap” arrangement for producers who need financial resources to sustain till theatres open for films to be released.</p>.<p>“Producers have an enormous financial commitment as they have several projects in hand. Only if they have some source of income, they will be able to sustain. We have to sustain till the time theatres welcome the audience to view movies on the silver screen. The ball has to be kept rolling till then. Releasing on OTT platforms is an alternative arrangement that is being experimented because of the lockdown,” Pandian told DH.</p>.<p>However, multiplexes like INOX, PVR and theatre owners’ association in Tamil Nadu, which witnesses 200 to 250 film releases a year, have taken strong objections to release of feature films on OTT, saying it does not augur well for a mutually-beneficial relationship that producers and theater owners have enjoyed for long.</p>.<p>The Producers Guild of India also took objection to theatre owners and multiplexes calling for action against producers who release their films directly on OTT.</p>.<p>“…It is only natural that Producers who have already invested heavily in their films with theatrical revenue assumptions that are no longer feasible, will seek out all avenues available to recover their investment and to stay in business,” the statement read.</p>.<p>Tiruppur Subramanian of the Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners’ Association said producers releasing their movies directly on OTT platforms when every industry is suffering due to Covid-19 does not augur well.</p>.<p>“The OTT platforms have been there for the past three to four years and why did not the producers go there earlier? Why only now? This is against business ethics and we will take a call on how to deal with such producers’ after theaters open,” he told DH.</p>.<p><strong>‘OTTs cannot replace theaters’</strong></p>.<p>Another Tamil film producer, T Siva of Amma Creations, says theater owners need not fear due to the move as OTT platforms have limitations and will not have resources to buy big-budget movies that would eventually release only in theatres.</p>.<p>He also maintained that producers have every right to exploit their film in every possible way to recover the investment made in order to continue in the business.</p>.<p>“OTT platforms cannot buy all movies. They have their own limitations and cannot buy big-budget movies. Releasing movies on OTT platforms is just a stop-gap arrangement. And movies which do not get slots in theaters will obviously use such platforms. We still feel theatre owners are the final authority when it comes to movies,” Siva added.</p>.<p>Echoing Siva, Pandian said every producer invests crores of rupees in films only to release them in theaters so that people can view them on the silver screen.</p>.<p>“We will get back to releasing films in theatres when the screens open. If we do not explore other opportunities to survive till then, how we will cater to the theatres after the lockdown ends? It is a stop-gap arrangement to survive till theatres open,” Pandian added.</p>.<p>Insiders say OTT platforms movie rights for direct release will be of great help to newcomers who would want to showcase their talent.</p>.<p>“This would lead to these OTT platforms producing movies on their own which would help a lot of newcomers who are tired of making numerous trips to production houses. This is a clear path for aspiring directors as they know which door to knock,” an insider told DH.</p>
