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Shakuntala Devi, Avrodh: The Siege Within, Yaara and other shows you can watch on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ Hotstar, and Sony LIV

<ul><li>The six films, available in five different languages, include <keyword id="652906" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shakuntala-Devi">Shakuntala Devi</keyword> featuring <keyword id="3844" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vidya-Balan">Vidya Balan</keyword>, and <keyword id="6267413" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ponmagal-Vandhal">Ponmagal Vandhal</keyword> starring Jyotika. </li><li>These films will be released on Amazon Prime Videos in the next three months. </li><li>Previously, Amitabh Bachchan, in a twitter post, announced the digital release of Gulabo Sitabo on June 12.</li></ul>Amazon Prime Videos is hitting the theatres it hurt the most. After announcing the digital release of Gulabo Sitabo, the OTT giant confirmed digital release of six other much awaited films on its platforms. The six films, available in five different languages, include Shakuntala Devi featuring Vidya Balan, Ponmagal Vandhal starring Jyotika, Penguin starring Keerthy Suresh (Tamil and Telugu), Sufiyum Sujatayum (Malayalam) starring Aditi Rao Hydari, Law (Kannada) featuring Ragini Chandran and Siri Prahlad, and French Biryani (Kannada). Previously, Amitabh Bachchan, <a href="https://twitter.com/SrBachchan/status/1260936221259423749">in a twitter post,</a> announced the digital release of Gulabo Sitabo on June 12. These films will be released on Amazon Prime Videos in the next three months. Release schedule on Amazon Prime Videos <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt; table-layout: fixed;"></colgroup></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Ponmagal Vandhal </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">May 29 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Penguin </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">June 19 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Law </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">June 26 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Sufiyum Sujatayum </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Not yet announced </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">French Biryani </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">July 24 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Shakuntala Devi </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Not yet announced </td></tr></tbody></table> This is bad news for theatre owners including multiplex operators like PVR and Inox. “Expect occupancy in multiplexes to remain low in initial weeks and envisage recovery to begin from the festive season (September-October 2020), which is likely to coincide with the release of big-budget movies,” an Edelweiss report said last week. In the meantime, they will lose precious business. While fans must be cheering for the digital release<a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/theater-owners-disappointed-call-gulabo-sitabo-direct-ott-release-a-mistake-6410255/">, theatre owners are disappointed and angry</a>. Coronavirus has forced around 9000 screens in India to shut down for an unknown time period — making cinema halls lose ₹150 crore a week. And now with producers opting for digital release, these cinema halls might struggle to survive.INOX had <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/theater-owners-disappointed-call-gulabo-sitabo-direct-ott-release-a-mistake-6410255/">earlier expressed “displeasure” on digital release of Gulabo Sitabo. </a> <div type="image" title="snapshot-1589527786675" msid="75753821" hostid="261"></div> “Indian audiences have been eagerly awaiting the release of these 7 highly anticipated films and we are delighted that Amazon Prime Video will now be premiering these movies for our customers - who can enjoy watching these from the safety &amp; comfort of their homes and on a screen of their choice,” said Gaurav Gandhi, Director and Country General Manager, Amazon Prime Video India. Gandhi believes digital release will allow these films to reach its viewers 4000 cities and towns across 200 countries. However, it is yet not clear whether these films will be available in the existing prime membership plan. Moreover, India still doesn’t have the pay per view on Amazon prime videos yet. Apart from Amazon Prime Videos, other OTT platforms like Zee5 and Netflix are also chasing producers for digital release of films that have finished production. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/bollywood-gives-in-amitabh-bachchan-and-ayushmann-khurrana-starrer-gulabo-sitabo-wont-wait-for-theatres-will-release-on-amazon-prime/articleshow/75735845.cms">Bollywood gives in -- Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana starrer Gulabo Sitabo won't wait for theatres, will release on Amazon Prime </a>

From Shakuntala Devi to Ponmagal Vandhal ⁠— 7 movies across languages will release first on Amazon Prime and that’s making PVR and INOX anxious

Mumbai, Jul 15 () Actor Vidya Balan on Wednesday said she had a great time portraying the titular role in the upcoming "Shakuntala Devi", adding that the film celebrates the inspiring journey of the well-known mathematician. Shakuntala Devi, the mathematical wizard, was known for her ability to make incredibly swift calculations. Her genius was first discovered at the age of five, when she solved a math problem for 18-year-old students. "Stepping into the world of Shakuntala Devi was as intimidating as it was exhilarating. Her story is inspirational and makes you see how if we believe in ourselves, the world is our oyster," Balan said in a statement. Directed by Anu Menon, the film is slated to start streaming on Amazon Prime Video from July 31. It was among the first major movies to head to a digital platform owing to the coronavirus-induced lockdown, which has led to the closing of cinema screens across the country. Balan, 41, said a digital release will ensure that the film reaches a global audience. "A direct release on Prime Video will bring Shakuntala Devi one step closer to audiences across the globe where they can watch the movie at their convenience," she said. The film's trailer, unveiled on Wednesday, gave a sneak peek into the adventures of the protagonist and her love for numbers that she valued above everything else in her life. "Shakuntala Devi" also stars Sanya Malhotra, Amit Sadh, and Jisshu Sengupta. The dramedy is produced by Sony Pictures Networks Productions and Vikram Malhotra. JUR RDS RDS

Playing Shakuntala Devi was as intimidating as it was exhilarating: Vidya Balan

<ul><li>Amid the nationwide lockdown, production houses are releasing their movies directly on <keyword id="5293670" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="OTT-platforms">OTT platforms</keyword> and have skipped the theatrical window run. </li><li>Multiplexes are expressing their disapproval of this trend on social media and requesting content creators to not skip the traditional windowing pattern.</li><li>We reached out to industry experts to find out what this means for the industry and if this could be a long-term trend. </li></ul>The on-going COVID-19 crisis has forced the multiplexes to shut down. As per Ormax Media’s Shailesh Kapoor, the pandemic has led to a whopping loss of Rs 2500 crore, which might accumulate upto Rs 5000 crore by the time theatres reopen. As a result, for the first time in its history, production houses have skipped the theatrical window run for a few Indian movies and are now releasing them directly onto OTT platforms. To be specific, Amazon Prime Video announced that it has acquired global streaming rights for seven upcoming Indian movies in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, on its platform between May and August. It includes Gulabo Sitabo, Shakuntala Devi, Ponmagal Vandhaal, Penguin, Sufiyum Sujathayum, Law and French Biryani. Amazon’s announcement evoked mixed reactions from the multiplexes. They expressed their dismay with the production house’s decision to go directly for streaming services. <div type="twitter" handle="INOXMovies" handlename="INOX Leisure Ltd." image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1253021908179628032/D9TO3szK_normal.jpg" favoritecount="2724" retweetcount="526" status="STATEMENT BY INOX ON A PRODUCTION HOUSE’S ANNOUNCEMENT TO RELEASE THEIR MOVIE ON AN OTT PLATFORM BY SKIPPING THE TH… https://t.co/iPSHMHvNbD" createdat="1589465718000" id="1260936729617260544"></div> <div type="twitter" handle="taran_adarsh" handlename="taran adarsh" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1440352704/profile_pic_taran_normal.jpg" favoritecount="4198" retweetcount="265" status="IMPORTANT... Release of films on #OTT platforms... #PVR has its say... OFFICIAL STATEMENT... https://t.co/7ow7zMpzjB" createdat="1589610704000" id="1261544847623643136"></div> The Producers Guild of India responded to the multiplexes ensuring that it ‘would work extensively to get audiences back to theatres once the cinemas reopen.’ <div type="twitter" handle="producers_guild" handlename="producersguildindia" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/962298169521528832/j-f_hRx9_normal.jpg" favoritecount="1584" retweetcount="348" status="Statement from Producers Guild of India https://t.co/WCeX3zMlsh" createdat="1589517078000" id="1261152148890415106"></div> INOX and PVR, both, issued a public statement reacting to the same development. However, both of them had a different approach. Karthik Srinivasan, Social Media and Brand Expert, uploaded a <a href="http://beastoftraal.com/2020/05/18/inoxs-outburst-and-a-lesson-on-framing-in-corporate-communication/">blog </a>highlighting how INOX’s outburst teaches us a lesson on framing in corporate communications. He compared both the letters and said, “In principle, INOX’s argument has merit. But the way it frames the argument demonstrates arrogance and holier-than-thou stand. When someone or a corporate entity showcases that, it becomes a natural sign for the reader to mentally bring down that arrogance.” We further spoke to experts to find out if this could be a long term trend and how it might affect the stakeholders, here is what they said: Jehil Thakkar, Partner, Deloitte India: This is a solution to a short-term need of the film industry which is getting by financial difficulties. It is a win-win situation for the OTT players who are looking for content as consumption has gone up and filmmakers who have ready products which are due for use. In the longer term, assuming things return to normal, I don’t see this being a paradigm shift. More deals will happen now than earlier but given that India’s 65-70% of revenue depends on box office collections, I don’t see this becoming a long-term trend. There may be a few odd films that go directly to OTT. They have commissioned movies before and it’s no different right now. It is just that the windowing is changed from going to theatre-first or OTT second, vice-versa. Shailesh Kapoor, Founder and CEO, Ormax Media: I don't see this as a long-term trend but a short-term one, created because of the indefinite closure of theatres. Once theatres re-open, we can expect old business models to take over. Though some small films may be tempted to take the digital route, most films with a medium or big scale will go for theatrical releases. Even the OTT platforms are currently paying a premium for direct OTT releases because the lockdown gets them more captive audience. This will not be the case when life begins to get back to normal. Harikrishnan Pillai, CEO and Co-founder, TheSmallBigIdea: OTT-first release will depend on the status of social distancing. If it continues even at half the current intensity, then this is the new norm. If this continues, the theatre/multiplex business will definitely be affected quite badly. But you can’t attribute this to only the film deals. The film deals are a result of the current situation which anyway renders malls and places of mass gathering redundant for a while. Disclaimer: TheSmallBigIdea is a party to some of these film deals/rollouts. The opinion might be biased. Karan Taurani, Vice President - Research Analyst, Elara Capital: I think it is a continued phenomenon. These are primarily small-budget movies which have been released directly on digital. None of the large films have announced any sort of digital release. This was an expected move -- nothing surprising on that. More announcements will follow as many films that were shot before the lockdown are going through the post-production work, these will be small-budget in nature. Usually OTT don’t pay a mark-up for more than 15-20% over the cost of production. However, now that they don’t have content right now, it is more of a desperate measure. They have given a very hefty premium to these movies to release directly on digital. So it is a win-win situation for the OTT platform and producers. But I think this trend is not sustainable once the cinema opens up. It will take a lot of time to come on-track after opening up but if it at all cinema occupancy comes back in place, I don’t think movies will go directly on digital.

Will movies releasing directly on OTT platforms become a norm post-Covid? Experts think otherwise

<ul><li>There were rumours about the film going for a digital release and now the movie officially joins a list of other Bollywood titles, including Amitabh Bachchan-Ayushmann Khurrana starrer "Gulabo Sitabo" and Vidya Balan's "Shakuntala Devi" biopic which are slated to debut on Amazon Prime Video, to directly head to a streamer during the coronavirus pandemic. </li><li>Johar took to Twitter to post a one minute-long clip, chronicling the life of Saxena. </li><li>Presented by Zee Studios and <keyword id="62161" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dharma-Productions">Dharma Productions</keyword>, the film, also featuring Pankaj Tripathi and <keyword id="7652544" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Viineet-Kumar">Viineet Kumar</keyword>, was earlier slated to be released on April 24. </li></ul> <keyword id="158887" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Filmmaker-Karan-Johar">Filmmaker Karan Johar</keyword> on Tuesday announced that his upcoming production, "Gunjan Saxena- The Kargil Girl", starring actor Janhvi Kapoor, is all set to bypass a theatrical release and stream directly on Netflix. The film is based on the life of Gunjan Saxena, then a flying officer, who became the first woman combat aviator to fly into a war zone during the 1999 Kargil War. Johar took to Twitter to post a one minute-long clip, chronicling the life of Saxena. "Her inspirational journey made history. This is her story. Gunjan Saxena - #TheKargilGirl, coming soon on Netflix. #GunjanSaxenaOnNetflix," he captioned the video. The release date of the film is yet to be announced. Presented by Zee Studios and Dharma Productions, the film, also featuring Pankaj Tripathi and Viineet Kumar, was earlier slated to be released on April 24. There were rumours about the film going for a digital release and now the movie officially joins a list of other Bollywood titles, including Amitabh Bachchan-Ayushmann Khurrana starrer "Gulabo Sitabo" and Vidya Balan's "Shakuntala Devi" biopic which are slated to debut on Amazon Prime Video, to directly head to a streamer during the coronavirus pandemic. Streaming platform Netflix also took to Twitter to make the announcement quoting a dialogue from the film. "Plane ladka udaye ya ladki, usse pilot hi kehte hain"- <keyword id="8037834" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gunjan-Saxena-The-Kargil-Girl">Gunjan Saxena - The Kargil Girl</keyword>, arriving soon. #GunjanSaxenaOnNetflix," the tweet read. Kapoor, who plays the titular role in the movie, said "Gunjan Saxena" was much more than a film for her. "This isn't just a film for me - it's a journey that's taught me to believe in myself. A journey I can't wait to share with you all. About a girl who set out to do something simple, follow her dreams," she wrote on Instagram. The actor made her Bollywood debut in 2018 with Johar's production "Dhadak", the Hindi remake of Marathi blockbuster "Sairat". "Gunjan Saxena" is directed by Sharan Sharma, who shares writing credits with Nikhil Mehrotra. Hussain Dalal has been credited with additional dialogue writing

Karan Johar's 'Gunjan Saxena - The Kargil Girl' to directly release on Netflix

By Justin Rao and Komal Panchamatia Mumbai, May 12 () Big ticket releases such as Amitabh Bachchan's "Gulabo Sitabo" may bypass theatres and premiere directly on digital platforms, being seen as a potential saviour for the film industry in a year marred by the COVID-19 pandemic and uncertainty over when cinemas will open.Faced with the question of going "direct to digital" or waiting for theatres to open after the situation improves, many filmmakers and production houses are exploring the option of heading to streaming platforms, industry insiders said.Shoojit Sircar's Amitabh-Ayushman Khurrana starrer "Gulabo Sitabo", Anu Menon's eponymous biopic on math genius Shakuntala Devi, with Vidya Balan in the title role, as well as "Chehre", another Amitabh film, are among the films likely to be released soon on a streaming platform."The deal of releasing 'Gulabo Sitabo', a quirky comedy set in Lucknow, and 'Shakuntala Devi' on Amazon Prime Video has been locked. The official announcement for both the films is most likely to be made this week," a source close to the streamer told .Ronnie Lahiri, producer on "Gulabo Sitabo", neither confirmed nor denied reports when reached out to him but asked journalists to wait for an official statement.An insider on the team of "Shakuntala Devi" also did not comment about the film's digital release."Chehre" producer Anand Pandit said a digital release was under consideration."Given how the lockdown is panning out, a digital release for 'Chehre' is being mulled," Pandit said, adding they would wait till the first week of June to take a final call.India has been under lockdown since March 25 to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.The one official announcement was the release of Nawazuddin Siddiqui's film "Ghoomketu", which streamed on ZEE5 last week. Most other plans are shrouded in secrecy with officials reluctant to come on record. But the list of 2020 films which will be released on streaming platforms is long, said insiders. Top on the list is "Laxmmi Bomb", featuring Akshay Kumar and backed by Fox Star Studios, which has reportedly been picked up by the recently launched service Disney+Hotstar. However, Hotstar representatives maintained a "no comment" stance as did producer Tusshar Kapoor.The movie, directed by Raghava Lawrence, was scheduled to be released on May 22 in theatres. That is unlikely to happen with no signs of cinema theatres opening even if the lockdown ends.The other 2020 releases -- Varun Dhawan-starrer "Coolie No 1", "Jhund" with Bachchan and Jahnvi Kapoor's "Gunjan Saxena" -- are also likely to head to different OTT platforms.Kiara Advani-starrer "Indoo Ki Jawani", co-produced by Nikkhil Advani and Bhushan Kumar, is also reportedly looking for a digital release.However, Advani said the film is currently being edited "despite physical constraints" and the team is optimistic it will be ready "very soon"."We are exploring all possible avenues. Nothing stands confirmed or committed. As soon as we are clear about the way ahead, we will make a statement," he said.Bhushan's T-Series' has two other films, "Ludo" and "Jhund".While questions sent to Bhushan on the slate of his films were left unanswered, a source from the production house confirmed that T-Series is planning to release its films digitally and talks are currently on.There are also some producers who want to wait it out.Producer Jackky Bhagnani, who was looking forward to the theatrical release of "Coolie No 1" on May 1, said he is not thinking about films right now. "Let us overcome this crisis and we will announce in happier times," Bhagnani said when asked about whether he was looking at releasing the film digitally.Reliance Entertainment said it will wait to release two of this year's most awaited films – Akshay starrer "Sooryavanshi" with "83", fronted by Ranveer Singh. The team will wait for the lockdown to be lifted and release these movies in theatres."We will first complete the film then we will wait. If six or nine months down the line the situation becomes much worse we will take a call at that time. There is no hurry. Same is the case with 'Sooryavanshi' and our other films," Reliance Entertainment Group CEO Shibashish Sarkar told last month.Irrfan Khan's last film "Angrezi Medium" headed to OTT platforms soon after its theatrical release as the lockdown led to cinema halls being closed. "There is a lot of big money involved. Also, if you release on OTT you cannot release it in theatres… If you release a film in theatre it will come on satellite as well as digital later," said trade analyst Taran Adarsh.Last week, the Multiplex Association of India (MAI) appealed to studio partners, producers, artistes and content creators to support the cinema exhibition sector by holding their films and releasing them in theatres once they reopen.The statement followed reports that several films were looking at a direct to digital release amid the lockdown.The combination of "pent-up demand" and the promise of new movies would boost film business and contribute massively in reviving the industry, the association said."The collective, social experience of watching films on the big screen needs to be preserved and it can be done so only with the collective support of all stakeholders," the statement from the body read."One can't say the film will lose or gain from a digital release, because when you release a good film in theatres, sky is the limit," Adarsh added KKP/JUR RDS MINMIN

Lockdown impact: Big ticket films likely to skip theatres and go 'direct to digital'

<ul><li>The deadly second wave of Covid-19 has wreaked havoc on the <keyword id="37465" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="film-industry">film industry</keyword> with many films releasing on <keyword id="1245953" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="OTT">OTT</keyword>. Hindi filmmakers have been waiting for the situation on ground, especially in the metros of Mumbai and Delhi, to get better.</li><li>While many analysts have concluded that the damage to the theatrical business in India will be irrevocable, <keyword id="161338" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shailesh-Kapoor">Shailesh Kapoor</keyword>, Founder &amp; CEO, <keyword id="809814" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ormax-Media">Ormax Media</keyword> cites some compelling reasons to support his prediction that 2022 will be biggest year ever at the Indian box office.</li></ul>It’s been a turbulent period of about 14 months for the Hindi film industry. While film industries across the world have suffered heavily on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, most have managed to get at least a few big releases out since the outbreak in early 2020. Even in India, the South industries, especially Tamil and Telugu, have seen a few releases, including successes like Master, Vakeel Saab, Uppena and Jathi Ratnalu. But when it comes to <keyword id="27461" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hindi-cinema">Hindi cinema</keyword>, the theatrical business has been a no-show. Even as films started releasing in the South, Hindi filmmakers stayed away, waiting for the situation on ground, especially in the metros of Mumbai and Delhi, to get better. A few mid-level films like Roohi and Mumbai Saga released, and some bigger ones were expected to follow, but the deadly second wave has wreaked havoc since then. But the period from April 2020 till now has not been uneventful at all for Hindi cinema. With theatres closed, OTT platforms have become the port of call for many Indian film producers. Gulabo Sitabo, Shakuntala Devi, Dil Bechara, Laxmii, Coolie No. 1 and now Radhe… the list of Hindi films opting for a direct-to-OTT release (though Radhe had a simultaneous theatrical release overseas) is long and growing. Some of these films have gone on to do very well. Dil Bechara, which was released free (AVOD) by Disney+ Hotstar as a tribute to its lead actor who passed away June last year, clocked an estimated 75+ Million views in India, a record for any OTT property in the country thus far. Laxmii (25 Mn) benefited from Disney+ Hotstar’s huge reach too, though it was behind the paywall, unlike Dil Bechara. Coolie No. 1 amassed good numbers (14 Mn) for Amazon Prime Video, and Radhe has given Zee’s attempt pay-per-view (PPV) model a boost, with 10 Mn+ views so far. Radhe, Coolie No. 1 and Laxmii had to face severely negative reviews from most critics. But a sizeable section of the audience still watched them, especially over the first week. Many analysts have concluded that the damage to the theatrical business in India will be irrevocable, and that the future of Indian cinema (or Hindi cinema at least) will be entwined with the OTT category. This, however, is a case of an opportunistic tendency to comment on trends in a way that suits the optics of the day. Many commentators, and even journalists, are guilty of this this tendency. Over the last year, I have often been asked my views on this topic as a part of a story a business publication is doing. In a majority of cases, the story has already been positioned as ‘pro-OTT, anti-theatres’. I should explain why I vehemently disagree with this misleading and over-simplistic narrative being peddled around. The reasons are plenty, but I’d focus on only three of them here. To begin with, cinema is a social, outdoor medium. In all our research around theatrical consumption, the experience of going to a theatre with friends or family is often the primary motivation, rather than the specific film being watched. OTT is a more intimate medium, still led largely by personal consumption on the smartphone, where the viewing is anything but 'social' in nature. The social need fulfilled by movie theatres can only be compensated by other such modes of entertainment, say sporting events or plays. The second reason is related to another unique need that movie theatre viewing satisfies: that of providing larger-than-life entertainment on the big screen. Films like those in the Bahubali and the Avengers franchise are watched on the big screen because of the magical experience that viewing provides. Much before the pandemic came in, audiences across the world were already segregating films in their heads as those for theatres and those for streaming. It was strikingly evident that with the growing penetration of streaming platforms, more intimate, emotional stories may not get a sizeable interest in the theatres, which will increasingly become the medium for big-screen, make-believe event films. The pandemic has only accelerated this trend that was decisively shaping up, even in India, since 2018. The third reason is economic in nature. The typical business model of a big-ticket starcast film requires sizeable recoveries from three sources to ensure a minimum profit level: theatrical, satellite and digital. If we skip the theatrical component, the onus is on the other two to ‘fund’ the film. The contribution of theatrical revenue for an average Indian film was 65% in 2019. If the 35% had to fund the remaining 65%, several films will become commercially unviable at the onset. OTT platforms in India may be currently shelling out a premium for some of these big films, but that’s a short-term marketing investment to attract new subscribers, and not a plan sustainable in the long run. Cinema is safe. Let me stick my neck out and predict that 2022 will be biggest year ever at the Indian box office. There’s only one thing that can stop that from happening. And that one thing is a botched-up vaccination strategy, not the OTT category.

Immune to OTT: The future of Indian cinema

<ul><li>In our latest series, we look at different industries to understand what was 2020 like for them and to crystal gaze into the upcoming year, and identify some of the trends that will set the tone for 2021.</li><li>During the past few months of the global pandemic, people staying at home around the world have turned to various streaming services for entertainment. </li><li>With the coronavirus still around, we speak to OTT players to find out what would 2021 look like for the industry. </li></ul>Better connectivity, cheaper devices and even cheaper data plans have been aiding the growth of India’s over-the-top (OTT) industry over the past few years. However, 2020 became a year when more and more people came onto the digital ecosystem, thanks to being stuck at home during the lockdown. With people barely moving out of their houses, they turned to the digital world for their daily fix of entertainment. Also, people were more open with experimenting with different platforms. If an IBEF report is to be believed, the OTT sector in India saw a 30% rise in the number of paid subscribers, from 22.2 million to 29.0 million between March and July 2020. There was a visible increase in the time people were spending on most platforms. It therefore became important for platforms to come up with differentiated, fresh content that would help them stand apart. Owing to the fact that multiplexes were shut for months, many platforms also started launching movies directly on digital. Consumers have been happy for the most part. As we enter 2021, expectations from the sector are high. With the coronavirus still around, many people will continue staying in. So what will this mean for the OTT sector in 2021? Will more and more people continue coming onto platforms, and prefer to pay for the content that they like? How will OTT platforms be able to ensure consumer stickiness? What are a few trends that will stand out in 2021? We reached out to a few experts from the industry and here’s what they had to say. Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 Global: <div type="image" title="Archana Anand zee5" msid="79998579" hostid="261"></div> I see two key themes that swung into prominence in 2020 emerging as key drivers of the <keyword id="9056838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ott-industry">OTT industry</keyword>’s skyrocketing growth in 2021. With the lockdown, we’ve seen a trend of people across the globe warming up to the idea of paying for quality content, and also being willing to commit to annual subscription packs where they see value. I see this trend only accelerating in 2021, leading to strong SVOD growth. This has also been a year where international content has gained massive traction across markets. With ZEE5 and other OTT platforms offering dubbed and subtitled content, enabling people in one geography to seamlessly access stories from any other, content is now truly democratized. Storytelling is increasingly blurring boundaries and storytellers are finding newer audiences beyond their own borders. I think 2021 is going to be the year that international content comes into even greater prominence as online audiences literally discover a world of new content via their OTT platforms. Hiren Gada, CEO, Shemaroo Entertainment Limited: <div type="image" title="Hiren Gada, CEO, Shemaroo Entertainment Limited" msid="79995505" hostid="261"></div> 2021 is going to be an exciting year as OTT is already riding the wave of increased data consumption and internet penetration in the small towns and rural India. The year gone by also saw some great innovations and developments in the OTT space. From direct-to-digital releases to the increasing growth in the regional content, this year has bolstered the growing popularity of OTT to an all-time high. One trend that is expected to take centre stage is highly localised and regional content. The key to ace the trend is to have an in-depth understanding of the traditions and culture of the viewers. Understanding the deep-rooted connections our viewers have with their mother tongue, we have developed a strong regional strategy for Shemaroo across all our platforms. We have a huge content bank that ranges from Bollywood, Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi, Kids, Devotional, and various specialised trays. Content companies saw a huge change and spike in the content viewing pattern of the audiences during the lockdown. Our regional offerings saw an impressive surge in viewership especially in the Gujarati category with viewership as high as 102% in the peak months of the lockdown. While Bollywood is our mainstay, our teams have been constantly acquiring and upgrading our regional offerings, so our audiences have something new every time they tune in. We aim to make it a more robust and comprehensive pick for any consumer who wishes to enjoy varied regional content. Ferzad Palia, Head, Voot Select, Youth, Music and English Entertainment, Viacom18: <div type="image" title="Ferzad Palia." msid="79995514" hostid="261"></div> Year 2020 saw the OTT category driven by groundbreaking storytelling and macro factors resulting in significant growth for SVOD services. Viewers’ willingness to pay for quality content is now well established. However, around 65% of subscribers are still from Top 10 metros. 2021 will buck this trend and see the Premium OTT Category in India expand its footprint outside of the top 10 metros, heralding the next phase of growth for the category. Karan Bedi, CEO - MX Player: <div type="image" title="Karan Bedia Mx player" msid="79998628" hostid="261"></div> Video streaming has become the primary mode of entertainment for most digital consumers across India this year. With this backdrop, India is set to become a key market for growth in OTT video in 2021. This will lead to an avalanche of new unique original content for these audiences as they have very little to watch on TV. In this situation, marketers are also increasingly aware of where their money works best, and would like to focus on those mediums, namely digital and OTT. Divya Dixit, SVP, Marketing, Analytics and Direct Revenue, ALTBalaji <div type="image" title="Divya, altbalaji" msid="79995519" hostid="261"></div> Digital is an ever-evolving medium and when it comes to OTT players, competition across the industry is soaring high with everyone at their toes trying to secure their places in the minds of consumers. While the pandemic of 2020 redefined content consumption, the year 2021 will chart new business alliances and revenue models for platforms to acquire direct subscriptions. The report from FICCI and E&amp;Y predicted 30-35 million paying subscribers on OTT platforms alone in the year 2021, and we are excited about carving a substantial pie out of the same. Our objective has always been content massification and with the next billion internet users set to hail from the Hindi heartlands, India’s digital industry promises a host of fresh avenues to explore and expand. The soon-to-arrive 5G networks will only work as an important factor for OTT platforms to scale further heights. Prime Video India spokesperson: “2020 has been a very exciting year for us at Prime Video India – at a time when a large section of customers, looking for high quality entertainment, are turning to streaming video - we launched 18 direct-to-digital movies (across 5 Indian languages) and 8 Indian Amazon Original Series, in addition to several Global Originals and hundreds of licensed and exclusive titles. One of the most consistent trends we observed in 2020 is that great content transcends geographical barriers. Indian stories are traveling across the globe - 1 out of 5 viewers of Indian Originals are from outside India. Both Four More Shots Please! and Made in Heaven were nominated for the International Emmy Awards, a testimony to local, authentic stories finding a global audience. Our first slate of DTS movies received close to 50% (and sometimes more) viewership for titles in Indian languages from customers outside the home states. Our Bollywood direct-to-service movies were block-buster hits - Gulabo Sitabo and Shakuntala Devi have been our most-watched movies on Prime Video in India as well as the most-watched Hindi/ Bollywood Movie outside India. Localized content not only helps us remain relevant, relatable but eventually also helps in widening audience reach - we also see global shows going deeper in India. We released Parasite with Hindi subs in India and that opened viewership to a whole new audience. We also dubbed some of our popular Global Amazon Originals like Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan and more recently, the second season of the The Boys in Indian languages, leading to more people discovering and watching these titles. This gives us an insight that customers are ready to watch content that has originated from any part of the world, if the story and the characters resonate with them.”

OTT: The trends to watch out for in 2021

<ul><li>Parle-G registered its best sales figures in over eight decades during the COVID-19 lockdown period. </li><li>We caught up with Mayank Shah, Sr. Category Head, Parle Products to understand how the brand managed to meet the ever-increasing demand, secret behind hike in sales, its shifting focus on digital mediums and overall marketing strategy. </li></ul>We all have grown up munching on Parle-G, dunking it in our chai and savouring the half-tea-soaked cookie everyday before rushing to school. The five-rupees pack came to the rescue yet again, cured the lockdown blues when our migrants trekked hundreds of kilometers back home. As a result, while many businesses struggled to survive, this home-grown glucose biscuit hasn’t seen its sales dip even for a day. In fact, Parle-G broke its own sales record by selling the maximum number of biscuits during lockdown in eight decades. Parle saw its overall market share increasing by nearly 5% in May and 80-90% of this growth came from Parle-G sales. “We have witnessed that during natural calamities and during COVID, there is an urgent need to supply rations to people and Parle-G has always been the go-to product and comfort food in any situation or location. It has a longer shelf life and the packaging keeps the biscuits fresh, thereby making it an ideal storage item,” said Mayank Shah, Sr. Category Head, Parle Products. Various NGOs and welfare organizations included Parle-G in their donation kits when Cyclone Amphan hit West Bengal and Odisha. Many people stocked it at home for emergencies. Another reason why Parle-G saw an uptick in sales is because the whole country was home and needed something healthy to snack on. “Today, most spending is happening on food and given the behavior, we are noticing people buying all sorts of biscuits, not just for snacking but for preparing various dishes. This is one reason why the demand went up. The second reason being staying at home has increased the consumption drastically. Typically, at the workplace the focus remains at work, at school focus is on studying but at home 24x7, consumption of food and snacking goes up. This is the reason why we saw uptick in consumption and we expect that this momentum will continue going forward as long as there are some or the other form of restrictions and also because of the concerns that people have in consuming outside food,” tells Shah. Challenges of meeting the market demand But how did Parle manage to meet this ever-increasing demand with scarcity of labor? “Right from day one, we were on the job in terms of ensuring that we get permissions to operate our plant, to ensure that the people are taking care of supply chains so any issues coming at any local level, there was a team that was functioning and taking care of those things to ensure smooth operation. Right from sourcing to manufacturing and supply chain, there were partners and teams already taking care of it. A big challenge was, a paucity of labor and the government additionally declared that offices will not operate with more than 50 percent capacity, which has changed today, initially it was even less than that,” said Shah. He added, “Depending on how a particular zone is affected, we probably have 20-40% labourers. To inspire and get laborers on board, we had to make them understand that it was not just a commercial activity rather it was food security of the country because of the sheer volume and consumption by people.” Shifting focus on digital mediums The lockdown has pushed even a traditional brand like Parle to embrace digital and explore the options available to reach out to its customers. While its ‘G Maane Genius’ iconic tagline continues to be a part of popular culture, to make it more relevant today and increase its recall value, Parle recently partnered with Amazon Prime Video for Shakuntala Devi. Talking about this partnership, Shah said, “This partnership celebrates what sets us apart, which is the generations of children that go above and beyond exploring possibilities in a way that makes their little world and imagination better.” Shah told us that the brand shifted its lion’s share from TV to digital during the lockdown because there was no fresh content on TV and on the other hand, there was a disproportionately higher rate on digital. “We would be investing a good amount of our budget into digital. Pre-COVID, the investments were typically 10 to 12% of the budget. During the initial part of the COVID, not just ours but many companies invested almost one third of the budget spent on digital. Now within a year or two, we will see almost about 20-25% of the total advertising spend happening on digital. Secondly, associations on OTT or TV only if we see a good synergy with our brand. So unless and until there is no great synergy in between our brand communication or brand proposition and the medium or rather the property with which we are associated, we normally don't associate,” said he. Tweaking marketing strategy to stay relevant This 82-year-old brand has grown to become a feeling in our country, it is not just any a cookie you dip in your chai. There is immense nostalgia associated with it. And to resonate with its consumers in gloomy times, Parle tweaked its overall marketing strategy. “We ensured that Parle remained part of consumers' life. Although we observed advertising by many brands, we opted to stay relevant and sometimes out of it. Rather, we continued talking to consumers about inspiring in these times, making them appreciate the role of the frontline workers and ensuring that they understand how the lockdown is beneficial to everybody. So they were not only public service ads which we executed, but ads of our products which talked about how we are part of their life by sharing their concerns. So, most of our communication was topical in nature.” When asked what keeps Shah motivated and at it, he said, “Today we are seeing many companies in the same category, same sector, who are giving up saying that it's the time of lockdown and nothing can be done. On the other hand and extreme, we can see companies that view this as an opportunity to rise up and go all out and carve out an opportunity out of constraint. We have seen both sides of the spectrum. A positive frame of mind, a positive bent of mind and a motivated team is something that makes all the difference.”

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Immune to OTT: The future of Indian cinema

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