Entertainment
B-Town: While cinemas offer sops, OTT platforms get aggressive
Mumbai, March 24 (IANS) The film industry has lost its exclusivity. Now, what we have is a mammoth entertainment industry. And the film trade is just a part of this industry. The way the equations are changing, filmmaking, distributing and exhibition may end up becoming the smaller part of the entertainment industry.
That is not to say that film production will suffer. Far from it, production activity will only mushroom. What producers will be making will be called ‘Content’. Because, whenever they plan a project, OTT platforms will remain important for them. And the content will come in various forms: episodic serialisation or web series, feature-length films, shorts, and so on.
So, many aspiring filmmakers who could not even dream of making a feature film, now do the same but call it ‘content’.
Can you imagine that once upon a time, cinema owners in towns considered any other means of entertainment around them to be an ‘opposition’? In those days, a distributor whose film was being screened in any town would get a Daily Collection Report (DCR) and prominently listed on top of this report sheet were the ‘oppositions’ to this particular film.
The report listed not only the other films showing in cinemas, but also the local circus, magic shows, plays and so on! They were considered to be competition that could affect a film’s collections.
Initially, there were films and there was radio. And radio complemented the film business. Radio helped film music become popular, which in turn served as a draw for a film. That was an era when viewers would watch a film if they loved the music.
But then came television, which many called the idiot box!
Today, the film business is at its nadir, thanks to the ‘idiot box’ and the avenues it created over a period. What made television tick? Who fed it content? The filmmakers, the film industry itself.
What was the USP of Doordarshan? The Sunday feature film, Saturday night award-winning film, or the Adult-certified film, and, most of all, film-based programmes such as Chhayageet or Chitrahar.
Then of course the video format started making a dent on the box office, with video piracy hurting the most. Then came satellite television film channels, another parasite feeding off the film industry. Every producer felt blessed selling satellite rights, thinking it was an extra buck.
But this spelt the end of repeat runs of films as well as 16mm business. Many cinemas in commercial areas screened matinee shows of old-time classics as their first show of the day and young people would throng the cinemas. This was followed by the screening of a new film rolled out in three shows a day.
That morning screening was called a matinee show and the tickets cost much less than the regular shows. That is how some stars came to be known as matinees idols; their repeat films drew maximum footfalls.
This was just the beginning.
The film industry was creating its own rivals because all those outlets providing small-screen or home entertainment were fed by cinema.
Now, we have OTT platforms, and, like radio, they can again be considered a part of the industry. They complement the business of making films. Initially, the OTT platforms bought films and added to the revenue of production houses without eating into their rights.
What these OTT platforms are doing now is that they are partnering with film and content makers. That is because, for one thing, these platforms did not have enough Indian content, and second, because the cinemas, in their new multiplex version, were greedy. That greed of cinema managements has made things easier for the OTT platforms to add to their subscriber base.
But, now, the OTT platforms have decided to take a more aggressive stance.
Some time back, Netflix announced a slate of 24 new projects. In the past week, Amazon Prime Video rolled out a bigger slate of 69 new projects for 2024.
It will include sanctioned as well as licensed products. Besides the sequels to its serials, such as ‘Panchayat’, ‘Mirzapur’, ‘Pataal Lok’, ‘Bandissh Bandits’, ‘Suzhal – The Vortex, and so on, there are several big banner films.
What is amazing to note is that the sequels to major theatrical hits like ‘Don’ (three), ‘Housefull’ (five) and ‘Baaghi’ (four) have been acquired well in advance by Prime Video!
The stars on its roster include the likes of Shahid Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Anil Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, Ranvir Singh, Tiger Shroff, Siddharth Malhotra, Vicky Kaushal, Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Ajay Devgn, Rajkummar Rao, Ram Charan and Pawan Kalyan, along with Nushratt Bharucha, Kriti Sanon, Triptii Dimri, Shraddha Kapoor, and so on.
The preference seems to be for successful sequels for obvious reasons.
Not to be left out, Jio Cinema, which has taken over Hotstar, is expected to make major announcements in April.
The highlight of all this outsourcing of content made by Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and more from Jio-Disney+Hotsar, is that they all engage well-known names, the regular filmmakers. You name one and he or she is making content for OTT.
So, what are the cinema managements doing? Making valiant efforts to stay afloat. The multiplex way of doing business has been an important factor in destroying the cinema business.
With admission rates ranging from Rs 200 to Rs 2,000-plus, who are you catering to?
Everybody who is in any kind of business is here because India has such a large consumer base. Take the example of mobile phone data pricing. The tariff started at Rs 16 a minute and few dared to buy a cell phone. Today, mobile data costs less than peanuts and it would be rare to find someone who does not own a phone!
Likewise, take the example of airplane travel. It was a dream for many to sit in an airplane. Today, all airports are crowded and the airlines had to go ahead and order about 1,000 new airplanes!
What our multiplexes did was the opposite. They decided to set admission rates so high that the masses would not even dream of stepping into their cinemas. And, to think that once upon a time, these masses were the ones who thronged the halls from first day first show.
What today’s exhibition trade is doing is the same thing. Your admission rates cater to the elite, in this case, not the intellectual elite, but the moneyed kind.
You had an open run, denied playtime to films, dictated terms, and claimed a bigger share in box office collections than the filmmaker. Today, you have been reduced to offering packages or celebrating ‘cinema days’ with concessional rates.
You had a cinema day once in October, then you had a cinema lovers’ day more recently. Then, in August last year, you offered 10 movies for Rs 600. Now, you have created a package of four movies for Rs 349, except during weekends. But where are the films worth watching? Where are the footfalls?
Instead, of making all these offers with no takers, doesn’t it make more sense to just rationalise admission rates on the same scale as your offers. Why not go for volumes and make bigger box-office collections. That, as many others have realised, is the way to do business in India. You will get your audience back! Alterntively, OTT platforms will become bigger draws than the cinema theatre.
–IANS
vinod/srb
Mumbai, July 6 (IANS) The lead actors of the upcoming thriller series ‘Gyaarah Gyaarah’– Kritika Kamra, Raghav Juyal and Dhairya Karwa were snapped shooting for their show at the Mehboob Studios, in Bandra West, Mumbai on Saturday.
The visuals show the trio dressed in the police uniform. The video shows Raghav asking the paparazzi: “How is my costume?”, to which the pap replied, “bahut badhiya”.
We can further see Raghav taking out the gun from his cop uniform, and saying to the paps: “Where is your helmet?” leaving everyone in splits.
The video also shows Kritika flaunting the gun, and candidly posing for the lenses.
‘Gyaarah Gyaarah’ is an adaptation of the Korean drama ‘Signal’. The show is set across a timeline of three decades –1990, 2001 and 2016 blending mystery and science with a degree of mysticism.
It also stars Aakash Dixit. Produced by Karan Johar and Guneet Monga, the series is directed by Umesh Bist. It will premiere soon on Zee5.
Kritika made her acting debut in 2007, with the teen drama show ‘Yahan Ke Hum Sikandar’. She made her film debut in 2018, with ‘Mitron’, starring alongside Jackky Bhagnani.
She has been a part of TV shows like ‘Kitani Mohabbat Hai’, ‘Pyaar Ka Bandhan’, ‘Kuch Toh Log Kahenge’, ‘Reporters’, and participated in the dance reality show ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 7’.
Kamra was most recently seen in the social drama ‘Bheed’ starring Rajkummar Rao, Bhumi Pednekar, Dia Mirza, Ashutosh Rana, Pankaj Kapur in the lead roles.
She has also featured in web series like ‘Bambai Meri Jaan’, and ‘Hush Hush’.
Raghav, who started his journey as a contestant on the show ‘Dance India Dance 3’, has featured in movies like ‘ABCD 2’, ‘Street Dancer 3D’, ‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan’, and the most recent release ‘Kill’.
Dhairya made his acting debut with ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’. He also essayed the role of Ravi Shastri in ’83’, and an aspiring writer in ‘Gehraiyaan’.
–IANS
sp/dan
New Delhi, July 6 (IANS) Actor Varun Sharma, who plays a heartbroken ‘Rajesh Khanna’ in the upcoming movie ‘Wild Wild Punjab’, has opened up about his character and its traits, sharing that there’s a very thin line between going caricaturish and doing it right when portraying a character in a drunk state.
The movie, which stars Varun, Sunny Singh, Manjot Singh, and Jassie Gill in key roles, revolves around the story of four best friends on a wild breakup trip.
Talking about his character, Varun told IANS: “The character of Khanna is very volatile. He is standing on a very fertile ground. He is like water, with a lot of alcohol in it. So, he flows but is tipsy. He is on a different rant altogether. He is the most persistent ranter I have read, seen, or got a chance to play.”
On the challenges he faced portraying Khanna, the ‘Fukrey’ actor said: “The toughest part about playing Khanna was that he was drunk throughout. So, I think to perform in a drunk state, there is a very thin line between going caricaturish and overboard and doing it right.”
“So, I am keeping my fingers crossed and hope it connects with the audience, and they feel for Khanna. I hope I have done justice to the most beautiful writing,” said Varun.
Speaking about the movie, Varun said it is very close to his heart.
“When I heard the storyline for the first time, I found it relatable and felt it was a story of every group. Every group has a ‘Khanna’, a ‘Maan Arora’, a ‘Jainu’, and a ‘Honey Singh’. There is madness in how the characters come together on different paths; it’s a very beautiful journey,” Varun said.
He added, “The way Patralekhaa’s character joins the group, and the adventures she brings, along with Ishita Raj, create a beautiful blend of so many journeys coming together for one basic line: ‘I am over you’.”
“I think there are many people who have said ‘I am over you’, or want to say this line, so this concept is very relatable. This is a different take on what happens if somebody wants to say ‘I am over you’, or someone who hasn’t got closure.
“How a set of friends go on a wild trip is beautifully portrayed. This is a film about a bunch of friends, made by a bunch of friends, for all the bunch of friends. So that’s ‘Wild Wild Punjab’,” said Varun, who was last seen in the movie ‘Tera Kya Hoga Lovely’.
Presented by Gulshan Kumar and Bhushan Kumar, ‘Wild Wild Punjab’ is a Luv Films production directed by Simarpreet Singh and produced by Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg.
The film is set to premiere on Netflix on July 10.
–IANS
sp/prw/arm
Entertainment
‘Understanding law of anti-gravity’, actress Deepti Sadhwani drops pics of aerial yoga
Mumbai, July 6 (IANS) The ‘Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah’ (TMKOC) fame actress Deepti Sadhwani on Saturday gave fitness goals to her fans, by dropping pictures of doing aerial yoga.
Deepti, who has 4.2 million followers on Instagram shared some pictures of herself performing aerial yoga. The snaps show Deepti wearing a yellow crop top and matching shorts.
The post is captioned as: “Just hanging out to understand the law of anti Gravity #aerialyoga practice. #deeptisadhwani #flexibility #motivation.”
A fan commented on the post saying, “wohhhhh”. While many users dropped fire and heart emojis in the comment section.
Deepti made her debut at the Cannes red carpet this year and attended the screening of the movie ‘Oh Canada’ in the 77th edition of the prestigious film festival.
She had won the title of ‘Miss North India’, and had participated in ‘Femina Miss India’ where she was a regional finalist.
Sadhwani also hosted a reality show named ‘Hasya Samrat’, which aired on Zee Marathi.
She has also appeared in movies like ‘Nazar Hati Durghatana Ghati’ and ‘Rock Band Party’, in which essayed the lead role.
The diva has also featured in music videos like ‘Harayana Roadway’, ‘Toot Jaayein’, ‘Lalla Lalla Lori’, ‘Butterfly Waale’, and ‘Tu Aag Ka Gola Chori’.
–IANS
sp/dan
Mumbai, July 6 (IANS) Bollywood’s ‘Khiladi’ Akshay Kumar on Saturday shared a fun dancing video with Ranveer Singh on his 39th birthday, expressing his hope that the actor’s infectious energy will always keep him going places.
Taking to Instagram, Akshay shared a Reel video in which he and his ‘Singham Again’ co-star can be seen dancing to Karan Aujla and Ikky’s song ‘Softly’.
Ranveer is wearing a black sleeveless T-shirt and matching joggers, complemented by a black cap and sneakers.
The birthday boy holds his boombox on his shoulder while grooving with Akshay on the street at night.
Akshay, on the other hand, is dressed in a black half-sleeve T-shirt and lavender pajamas.
The duo candidly dances to the tunes of ‘Softly’.
The post is captioned: “Happy birthday Ranveer Singh, you powerhouse of a man! Hope your infectious energy always keeps you going places. Enjoy your day. Love and prayers.”
Actress Rakul Preet also took to Instagram Stories to pen a birthday note for Ranveer.
She wrote: “Cheers to the man who brings boundless energy and unparalleled passion to everything he does. Happy birthday Ranveer Singh.”
Filmmaker Aditya Dhar shared a monochrome selfie with Ranveer and posted: “Happy birthday to the man whose energy can light up an entire city! You’re a supernova of an actor. Keep dazzling the world with your awesomeness!! Love you, my brother!!”
On the work front, Ranveer made his Bollywood debut in 2010 with the romantic comedy ‘Band Baaja Baaraat’, alongside Anushka Sharma. The film was directed by Maneesh Sharma in his directorial debut and produced by Aditya Chopra for Yash Raj Films.
He has since featured in movies like ‘Ladies vs Ricky Bahl’, ‘Lootera’, ‘Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela’, ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’, ‘Bajirao Mastani’, ‘Gully Boy’, and the most recent film ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’.
Ranveer’s next project is ‘Singham Again’, which also stars his wife, actress Deepika Padukone.
The multi-starrer film features Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Tiger Shroff, Arjun Kapoor, and Jackie Shroff in lead roles.
It is directed by Rohit Shetty, who co-produced it under Rohit Shetty Picturez with Reliance Entertainment, Jio Studios, and Devgn Films.
The movie is set to be released this Diwali.
–IANS
sp/prw
Los Angeles, July 6 (IANS) Hollywood star Eddie Murphy has said that he does not wish to have a funeral and would like to go “quietly”.
Murphy shared a video, where he revealed that he doesn’t want a funeral after joking that people should play the ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ theme music at the event to make people “smile.”
He re-enacted his own acapella version of the jingle, saying that it should be played as he is being buried, reports people.com.
“That’s just a joke, ’cause I’m never having a funeral,” he clarified in the video.
Murphy further explained his preference: “I mean, I’m gonna die like everyone else. But (my loved ones) know…no funeral. Just let me go quietly.”
The actor was promoting his latest film, ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’, the fourth instalment in the action-comedy franchise, which was released on July 3.
In the film, Murphy returns as Axel Foley, a cop who returns to Beverly Hills after his daughter’s life is threatened, marking a return to the role after a decade since the third film.
Murphy quipped that he’s been asked how he feels about playing “the Black James Bond” and tells whoever asks him: “I don’t have to be some Black James Bond. I have Axel Foley, and he has theme music and everything.”
After the success of ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ and its sequel, the Oscar-nominated star featured in the 1998 classic ‘Coming to America’. The sequel, ‘Coming 2 America’, was released in 2021.
In 1996, he was seen essaying the role of Professor Sherman Klump in ‘The Nutty Professor’.
Murphy was then seen in the ‘Dr. Dolittle’ franchise, playing the titular character, who can talk to animals. Most recently, Murphy voiced Shrek’s sidekick Donkey in four ‘Shrek’ films.
–IANS
dc/prw
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