The OTT (over the top) platform is proving to be a boon for films with a low budget and no star power. Films that were removed within a few days of being put into multiplexes and theaters because it was difficult to extract costs, such films are now proving to be a profitable deal due to OTT.
There are more than 5 dozen films in the Corona era, which have been released directly on some of the other OTT platform. The interesting thing is that none of these films had a flop tag. All films have made a profit above their cost. That is, it can be said that OTT is now a safe game for many filmmakers.
The big reason behind this is that OTT platforms never make public the viewership data of their films. For this reason, it is difficult to say whether a film is a hit or a flop. Second, OTT platforms buy films at a higher price than the cost, so the films never go into loss. Like happened recently with Salman Khan's film 'Radhe'. Made at a cost of around 100 crores, the film sold for 170 crores on the Zee5 platform.
Even though the reviews of 'Radhe' were negative, the critics did not give the film any special rating, but this film proved to be a loss deal for the makers from nowhere. Conversely, if the film was released in theaters, the film might have suffered the brunt of negative publicity after the first day's bumper collection.
When films started coming on OTT in India, it was believed that only films with experimental topics or bold content would come here. It made its debut with films such as Netflix's Lust Stories, Ghost Stories, and Bombay Talkies, but the lockdown changed the whole scene. Theaters are not expected to open with 100% occupancy for a few months. As such, the list of exclusive OTT releases is getting longer.
Coming to OTT was also a compulsion for some films after the theater was closed. Talking about the films of big stars, Hotstar bought the rights of Akshay Kumar's Laksmmi for 150 crores. While the Zee5 was set to sell Radhe's hybrid release rights for 225 crores, but sources reveal that it is not releasing in the movie theater, after it was finalized at 170 crores. These films could of course earn more in theater releases. The producers of both films were not at loss, but the truth is that for big-budget films, theater release is better than OTT. Both of these films may have been labeled super hit or blockbuster.
Arjun Kapoor and Rakul Preet Singh Starrer Sardar Ka Grandson have just been released on Netflix. All the reviews of this film show that if it came to the theater it would have flopped badly, but now on OTT, it will not be able to earn. If Abhishek Bachchan's Big Bull and Amitabh Bachchan's Gulabo Sitabho had come on the big screen, they could not have done any big miracle at the box office anyway. The same applies to Abhishek's Ludo.
Not only Abhishek but there are also many other stars whose box office record is not much. OTT may not get a big offer for the rights to his film, but with the label of the flop, it is a good thing that the film is easily out of cost and benefited here.
Sushant Singh Rajput's 'Dil Bechara' got record-breaking views. The film was also given a high rating, but could it get a good collection at the box office under normal circumstances? This is a great question. Sanjay Dutt and Alia Bhatt's Road-2 was rated 1.1 on IMDB. The film came on OTT so survived the flop.
Trade analyst Rahul Dubey tells the real truth of the film's release. In conversation with Bhaskar, he told that even in the normal period before Covid, only 30 percent of the movies were seen in the theater in the true sense. The rest of the films were only technical releases. Were released for a week or a few days and removed.
Dubey says that at the time of lockdown, OTT platforms in the country doubled, so producers now have more options. OTT does not have the tension of marketing and promotion cast. The bad in the theater are also spared from the recent fear.
In a conversation with Avinash Das Bhaskar, director of the film 'She', which was included in the top 10 films on Netflix and released in theaters, Anaarkali of Aarah, acknowledges that the OTT release keeps producer safe. Avinash makes films and sells the OTT platform with profits.
Avinash explains that no one was ready to release Anaarkali of Aarah, so the producers released the film themselves in partnership with PVR. In the theatrical release, the risk remains that what will happen if people do not come to see the film. This risk is not in OTT.
Actress Neena Gupta told that OTT has proved to be a boon for many artists, not just producers or viewers. Think, what would happen to such films if OTT were not there? How many actors and other people are getting work due to OTT. Many films have reached the audience due to OTT. It will grow further and should grow.
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