New Delhi .Most of the producers in the film industry like to release their films on the big screen. The biggest reason for this is the earning potential from theatres. If a film is liked by the audience, it can do business many times more than its cost at the box office. In contrast, producers usually get a fixed amount after selling a film on the OTT platform. However, sometimes such situations arise that films made for theaters have to be released on digital platforms. The same was seen during the Corona pandemic (COVID-19 Pandemic) and lockdown. The release plans of many big films changed during this period. These include five popular films, which had to choose the path of OTT instead of theatre.
Akshay Kumar and Kiara Advani's film Lakshmi is also included in this list. This film, which is ready for release in the year 2020, was initially planned to be released in theatres. The film was produced on a big budget and was designed with the big screen audience in mind. But due to Corona infection, lockdown was imposed across the country and theaters were closed. After this the producers had to release the film on the digital platform. However, the film did not receive the response that was expected from the audience. There was also controversy regarding its title and subject matter.
Late actor Sushant Singh Rajput's last film Dil Bechara also could not reach theaters due to the pandemic. The film was initially planned for theatrical release in November 2019 and then in May 2020. Meanwhile, the Corona epidemic spread and theaters stopped operating. Later, after the demise of Sushant Singh Rajput, the makers decided to make the film available for free on Hotstar for all viewers. In this way the film was delivered to the audience through digital medium.
Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana's film Gulabo Sitabo was also scheduled to be released in theaters earlier. There was discussion about the film since its announcement. Some of its looks and glimpses had also caught people's attention. But due to theaters being closed due to the lockdown, the makers decided to release it on OTT. The film came on Amazon Prime Video. Based on the response it received after its digital release, this decision proved to be a practical one for the producers.
Bhuj: The Pride of India, starring actors like Ajay Devgan and Sanjay Dutt, was also made keeping in mind the big screen experience. Considering the story and presentation of the film, preparations were made to release it in theatres. It was scheduled to be released in theaters in 2021, but plans changed due to circumstances. Finally the film was released on Hotstar. However, it did not receive the expected response from the audience on digital platforms.
The name of Sadak-2 is also included in this list. The film starring Sanjay Dutt and Alia Bhatt was directed by Mahesh Bhatt. It was the sequel to Sanjay Dutt's film Sadak. The film was scheduled to be released in theaters in July 2020, but due to theaters being closed for a long time, its release had to be postponed. It was later streamed on Jio Hotstar. Despite its digital release the film received only a moderate response from the audience.
The circumstances surrounding the release of these five films show that the film's production plan and medium of release were not always under the control of the producers. Due to the closure of theaters during the pandemic, many films had to change their release strategies. Some films were delivered to the audience through digital platforms, while some did not receive the expected response.