Very Disappointing that the Filmmakers are opting Digital Route First

On 29 June 2020, Disney+ Hotstar has officially announced 7 films that will directly release on the OTT platform. These films will skip a theatrical release. All these films will directly release on Disney Plus Hotstar from July - October months. This film includes biggies like Laxmmi Bomb, Bhuj - The Pride of India, Dil Bechara, Sadak 2, and few others.

News has not gone too well with the exhibition sectors. They are already in dire straits because of the coronavirus pandemic. They are already struggling to open the cinema halls as the pandemic is still growing in India. And, finally, this piece of news comes as a lightning bolt to them.

Carnival Cinemas have expressed their disappointment on this development. BollywoodLife reported the statement of Carnival Cinemas CEO Mohan Umrotkar's statement.

Mohan Umrotkar said,

"We stand by our previous statement. It is very disappointing that the filmmakers are opting digital first route when we are just steps away from the theatrical releases with the reopening of cinema halls across the country with all the necessary precautions." "The economy is reopening and malls have already opened. They just need to have some more faith and patience to hold the content for the big screens, that is what it was made for." 

"During the lockdown we have participated in many surveys to realize that the audience is waiting for cinemas to reopen. For the entertainment industry to flourish everyone needs to stand by each other. And if films made for theaters release directly on streaming platforms it may hamper the overall growth of the ecosystem."

Yes, makers of films want to recover their investment as early as possible. They have financial constraints. Yes, the OTT platform is gaining a foothold in the Indian market big time in this lockdown period. But the situation is extremely sad and critical for the exhibition sector. We only hope that situation gets better in the coming days and soon theatres and cinema halls open across India so that people can enjoy big-screen viewing again which is still the preferred choice for most of movie lovers across the world.