• SPECIAL STORY •
( 205 . 60 crore ) had bolstered the revenues of the last quarter .
Producers in India understood that putting films on streaming services can no longer be bundled with selling satellite rights , neither do they have to be exclusive to exhibitors . In May 2020 , Amazon Prime Video announced the global premiere of director Shoojit Sircar ' s dramedy ‘ Gulabo Sitabo ’ starring Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana .
Vijay Subramaniam-director and head , content of Amazon Prime felt that they banked on the platform ' s ability to provide the producers with the option of releasing their movies in 200 territories in the world . " We were fortunate because of the strategic relationships we have with every film producing community in the industry across the country . Whether it ' s Hindi , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , Kannada-given the amount of work we do in each of these communities-it was relatively easier for us to sit down with the producers in each of these industries . We asked them if they would like to consider a worldwide premiere on Prime Video considering since cinemas were not an option . They responded pretty enthusiastically ."
The announcement attracted criticism from the exhibition industry . PVR Ltd issued a statement saying , " We are disappointed with some of our producers deciding to go straight to the streaming platform / s . We were hoping that the producers would accede to our request to hold back their film ' s release till cinemas reopen ."
Silver Lining as the Crisis Subsides - RRR by SS Rajamouli Fetches 348 Crores in a Pre-Theatrical Release in a Major Deal
‘ Master ’ is the first Indian big-budget movie to release in a theatre after the cinema halls were shuttered in March 2020 . Against an investment of
80.50 crore , The Thalapathy Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi thriller has become the highest-grossing film of the week across the world with earnings of 155 crore ( gross ) so far .
The success of ‘ Master ’ is a welcome indicator of the success of the box office barometer and another huge boost came when actor Salman Khan tweeted , " Sorry , it has taken me a long time to revert to all the theatre owners … It ' s a big decision to make during these times . I understand the financial problems that the theatre owners / exhibitors are going through and I would like to help them by releasing ‘ Radhe ’ in theatres . The commitment was of Eid and it will be Eid 2021 , Inshallah . Enjoy ‘ Radhe ’ this year in theatres on Eid . God willing ."
‘ RRR ’ by SS Rajamouli has audiences raving about it ever since it was first announced . The film will be releasing in 10 languages , and has recorded incoming offers worth over 348 crores for theatrical rights of only 5 languages , ever since its release date announcement . The excitement has surpassed all levels when the release date for the film was announced . All set to release in October 2021 , ‘ RRR ’ also has received offers amounting to over 348 crores for theatrical rights for Tamil , Telugu , Kannada and Malayalam in totality , with 75 crores in Nizam , 165 crores in Andhra Pradesh , 48 crores in Tamil Nadu ,
15 crores in Malayalam and 45 crores in Karnataka amounts to a total of 348 Crores .
The team is also getting huge offers from Bollywood , because the audiences here are also a part of the massive wave of excitement . The ensemble cast starring Jr . NTR , Ram Charan , Ajay Devgn , Alia Bhatt , Olivia Morris , Samuthirakani and Allison Doody and several others in pivotal roles with a celebrated director like SS Rajamouli whose last venture Bahubali - is still the biggest hit Indian film , crossing 1400 crore at the Box Office in India alone .
All in all , 60 movies released across India in theatres in February 2021 . Over 1000 + movies are confirmed for a theatrical release in 2021 and another 600 movies are yet to confirm their release dates . This leads to the conclusion that nothing can match the ' BIG SCREEN ' experience
Co-existence of Both the Mediums is the Future
Karan Johar believes that cinema will never die and he feels both OTT and theatres have their own inherent strengths and they will both coexist .
Subramaniam of Amazon Prime Video also sees importance of the cinematic experience . " It was never an either-or . Theatres have always existed and always will . The cinematic experiences are necessary . There is a great sense of community and celebration that the cinematic experience allows ."
While exhibitors are looking forward to a miracle and have audiences packing theatres with a vengeance once the pandemic subsides , the OTT platforms locked in fierce competition to woo the producers and subscribers alike .
March-May 2021 TW-23