The film Ground Zero starring Emraan Hashmi, which was released recently, was expected to pull large crowds to theatres as the nation is gripped in the mood of patriotism due to the Pahalgam incident.
But shockingly, the film could hardly manage a collection of just over ₹1 crore on the first day. This speaks volumes about the fate of films in theatres today.
A few days ago, Netflix’s CEO mentioned, from a Hollywood perspective, that the theatre system is almost gone, and people hardly prefer coming to theatres for entertainment, as OTTs are just a click away.
The same is true for Bollywood and Tollywood as well. Alternative entertainment — whether it's reels on Instagram, shorts on YouTube, or shows and movies on OTTs — more than satisfies people’s daily entertainment needs.
In such a scenario, audiences hardly find the interest to visit theatres unless it’s a festival season like Sankranthi and a major star's movie is releasing.
Even films with good word-of-mouth aren't drawing crowds because everyone knows the movie will be available on OTT platforms in just three weeks. Beyond the cost factor, it's also the laziness of people that’s killing the box office.
The coming days are alarming. It’s not surprising to predict that theatres may eventually vanish, remaining open only for mandatory screenings, as award committees across the globe require a theatrical release for nominations. The actual business will increasingly shift to OTTs and online platforms.
Another major blow to films is that OTT platforms have also started doing Friday releases, directly competing with theatrical releases. This creates even more trouble for films releasing in theatres.
At least, there should be an agreement between OTTs and the film industry that OTT releases happen on Mondays, not Fridays, to allow theatrical films some breathing space.
Moreover, every film, even in Telugu, is now available quickly on OTTs — including the much-talked-about Adolescence.
By all means, national, international, and regional audiences are now locked into OTTs, preventing them from even considering a trip to the theatres.
