Following the COVID outbreak and ensuing lockdown, OTT platforms became the sole way to watch movies, changing the movie-watching experience for many people.
The decision by film producer Antony Perumbavoor to distribute at least five future Mohanlal films via digital platforms, including the big-budget Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham, has sparked a debate about the economics of OTT subscriptions vs theatre showing.
Following the COVID outbreak and ensuing lockdown, OTT platforms became the sole way to watch movies, changing the movie-watching experience for many people. As theatres reopen to a chilly reception from the public, a heated debate about the future of theatres has engulfed the Malayalam film industry and viewers.
The question is whether streaming sites will soon become the preferred choice for the state’s production businesses, putting an end to free-run cinemas. In terms of box office receipts, a big-budget film like Marakkar, produced by Aashirvad Cinemas, would need at least three weeks to break even. This might have been a major factor in Antony Perumbavoor’s choice to distribute the film on OTT.
The question is whether streaming sites will soon replace free-run movie theatres as the preferred choice for the state’s production businesses. A big-budget film like Marakkar, which is produced by Aashirvad Cinemas, would need at least three weeks to generate a profit at the box office. Antony Perumbavoor’s choice to put the film on OTT might have been influenced by this.
“OTT platforms purchased films after paying a large premium to premiere them during the early days of the epidemic. C U Soon and Joji, for example, profited from this. However, the price paid has just decreased. I’m familiar with filmmakers attempting to sell their films to OTT services. Many people are hesitant since the prices on offer are not appealing. As a result, they are compelled to wait for a theatrical release “Vivek Ramadevan, managing director of Catalyst Entertainment Consultancy Pvt Ltd, a project design and movie marketing agency, agreed.
Following the COVID outbreak and subsequent lockdown, OTT platforms became the only way to see movies, completely changing the movie-watching experience for many people.
