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
Allu Arjun is poised to dominate the box office with his highly anticipated film, Pushpa 2: The Rule, set to release on December 6, 2024. The excitement surrounding this film is phenomenal, already making headlines with an impressive pre-release collection of RS 1,085 crores! This achievement is particularly notable, given that it reached this milestone well before the movie even debuts in theaters.
Fans are eagerly looking forward to Allu Arjun’s return as Pushparaj, the character that earned him a National Award for Best Actor in the first installment, Pushpa: The Rise. The buzz surrounding Pushpa 2 is unparalleled, and the film is expected to break even more records upon its release. The pre-release collection includes a record-setting deal for theatrical rights, sold for ₹640 crores, making it one of the most lucrative film deals in Indian cinema.
Additionally, Pushpa 2 has secured a significant digital distribution agreement with Netflix, which acquired the rights for ₹275 crores, highlighting the high demand for the film. The overall pre-release earnings have been impressive across various regions, with ₹220 crores collected in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, ₹200 crores in the North, ₹50 crores in Tamil Nadu, ₹30 crores in Karnataka, ₹20 crores in Kerala, and ₹40 crores from overseas markets. The music rights were sold for ₹65 crores, while the satellite rights fetched ₹85 crores, contributing a total of ₹425 crores from non-theatrical rights.
Directed by Sukumar and produced by Mythri Movie Makers, Pushpa 2: The Rule features a talented cast, including Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil alongside Allu Arjun. The film’s music will be released by T Series, further adding to the anticipation.
With Allu Arjun’s National Award win and the remarkable pre-release collections, it’s clear that Pushpa 2 is set to be a blockbuster. As the release date approaches, fans are excited to see how this film will perform at the box office. If the pre-release collections are any indication, Pushpa 2 is bound to shatter records and become a massive success!
Mumbai, Aug 22 (IANS) Actress Anu Aggarwal, who rose to fame with “Aashiqui”, and “King Uncle”, recalled the time when filmmakers would come to her with money for signing a film and would not have a script ready.
In a conversation with Lehren shared on Instagram, the actress could be seen talking about it.
“I was shocked to see that people who don’t have their scripts are not ready when they would come to sign me up for a film. They would have the money ready and I would say I don’t want to sign with the money. I would like to hear the script.”
“They would say the script will be made so you can sign,” she added.
“This was the way and because I am an actor I would like to see what my role, story is. Everything is important. Nobody would have a script… 98 per cent of people would not have the script,” she said.
Anu Aggarwal gained immense popularity in the 1990s after featuring in the musical romantic drama “Aashiqui” directed by Mahesh Bhatt.
She starred alongside Rahul Roy and Deepak Tijori.
The film was known for its music, by composer duo Nadeem–Shravan establishing their careers.
The soundtrack album has been rated fourth by Planet Bollywood on their “100 Greatest Bollywood Soundtracks”.
It was the best-selling Bollywood album at the time of its release.
The film was remade in Kannada as “Roja” in 2002.
A sequel to the film, “Aashiqui 2”, with a completely new theme, directed by Mohit Suri, with Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor, was released in 2013.
–IANS
dc/khz
Entertainment
Ram Charan's daughter Klin achieves this milestone on grandfather Chiranjeevi's birthday
Mumbai, Aug 22 (IANS) On the 69th birthday of actor and politician Chiranjeevi, his son Ram Charan has shared a peek into their family vacation to Paris, France, which is also the first trip of his daughter Klin Kaara with her grandparents.
Ram took to his Instagram account, where he has 23.9 million followers, and shared a family picture from Paris.
The snap shows his parents– father Chiranjeevi, mother Surekha, his wife Upasana Kamineni, and their furry friend–pet dog. We can see Chiranjeevi holding his granddaughter Klin adorably in his arms.
Ram looked dapper in a black shirt, matching trousers and an olive green jacket.
They are posing against the backdrop of Eiffel Tower.
The post is captioned as: “Klin Kaara’s first trip with her grandparents!!! Memorable”.
In another post, Ram dropped a photograph with his father, wearing matching South Indian ethnic outfits.
He wrote in caption: “Happpiest birthday, Appa!!”
Meanwhile, on the occasion of Chiranjeevi’s birthday, UV Creations and director Vashistaa Mallidi have unveiled the highly anticipated first look poster for ‘Vishwambhara’, a fantasy adventure film.
Sharing the poster on social media, the makers wrote: “When darkness and evil take over the world, a Magnanimous Star shall shine bright to fight, Happy birthday, MEGASTAR @KChiruTweets, Let the world witness your aura with #Vishwambhara, Get ready for a MEGA MASS BEYOND UNIVERSE, In cinemas from January 10th, 2025.”
The movie promises to be a cinematic spectacle, featuring Chiranjeevi in a lead role. The film also stars Trisha Krishnan, Ashika Ranganath and Kunal Kapoor.
The film will be released on January 10, 2025.
Chiranjeevi was last seen in Telugu action drama ‘Bhola Shankar’ directed by Meher Ramesh. It also featured Tamannaah Bhatia, Keerthy Suresh and Sushanth.
Meanwhile, Ram Charan last appeared in action drama ‘Acharya’, directed by Koratala Siva. The film starred Chiranjeevi, alongside Pooja Hegde, Sonu Sood and Jisshu Sengupta.
He next has ‘Game Changer’, and ‘RC16’ in the pipeline.
–IANS
sp/
Entertainment
Rani Mukerji: Shivani Shivaji Roy shows how a woman can lead from front in a male-dominated field
Mumbai, Aug 22 (IANS) Actress Rani Mukerji has talked about why she loves her character Shivani Shivaji Roy from “Mardaani,” which has completed 10 years in Hindi cinema on Thursday.
She said: “Shivani Shivaji Roy is my most favourite on-screen character. She is a defiant, fierce force of nature who will stand up for what is right no matter what. She is someone who subverts gender norms in cinema and shows how a woman can also lead from the front in a male-dominated field.”
As the film celebrates its 10th anniversary, Rani is grateful for all the love and acclaim that she has received.
She said: “I’m truly proud of my ‘Mardaani’ franchise. It is a franchise that keeps on giving. The love, adulation, and the respect that I have received from Mardaani is truly humbling.”
On Thursday morning, the makers of the film teased fans about the next chapter of the franchise.
Production Yash Raj Films banner took to YouTube, where they dropped a teaser of sorts, which begins from the first installment, which first released in 2014.
The production company captioned it: “10 years of #Mardaani and the next chapter awaits… Celebrating the feisty, daredevil cop #ShivaniShivajiRoy and the spirit of #Mardaani today. Thank you for a decade of love and appreciation for our beloved franchise. We are inspired… again… thanks to you. #RaniMukerji #10YearsOfMardaani.”
Rani is too excited to reprise the role and don the cop uniform once again.
She said: “I’m looking forward to bringing back Shivani Shivaji Roy on the big screen soon. It’s been a while since I have donned the cop uniform and paid tribute to the women police force of our country.”
“Each (woman cop) one of them relentlessly works hard to keep our families safe and I have always loved to salute these fearless women. Shivani will be back and I hope you will give as much love to her as you have always showered for 10 years now!” added the actress.
–IANS
dc/
Mumbai, Aug 22 (IANS) Bollywood actress and fashionista Sonam Kapoor brought out her A-game in fashion, where she flaunted “minimal, bold and effortlessly on point” look.
The actress took to Instagram, where she shared a string of pictures. In the pictures, she is seen wearing a powder pink shirt, paired with a blazer and long skirt. She completed her look with sunglasses.
“Celebrating @perniaq season 2 podcast drop with that sleek @phoebephilo energy—minimal, bold, and effortlessly on point. Shoutout to the squad for keeping the vibe,” she wrote and also mentioned that she is styled by her sister Rhea Kapoor.
Recently, Sonam shared several glimpses from her son Vayu’s vintage car themed cake as he turned two on August 20.
Sonam took to Instagram, where she shared a reel of the two-tier toddler friendly, refined sugar free chocolate cake. It featured a vintage ice blue car atop of the cake with the number 2 written on it.
The actress had also penned a heart-felt note for her son Vayu.
“My baby turns two today!!! Happy 2nd Birthday to our sweet, precious Vayu! W Being your mom is the greatest gift I could ever receive. You’ve filled our lives with so much joy, laughter, and wonder,” Sonam said.
The actress shared that with her son, everyday is an adventure filled with “your boundless curiosity, your infectious laughter, and your sweet, loving nature.”
“You’ve brought so much light and happiness into our world, making every moment more beautiful and every relationship stronger. You’ve deepened the love between your dadaa and me in ways we never imagined, and you’ve brought pure, unfiltered joy to everyone who loves you-your nani and nana, dadi and baba, kaaa masa, Masi and chachu,” she said.
“Your sweet spirit and playful energy make our family complete, and we are so blessed to have you in our lives.”
She tagged Vayu as her sunshine, music, little genius, and their endless “source of happiness”.
“We love you more than words can say, and we can’t wait to see all the amazing things you will continue to bring into our lives,” Sonam said.
–IANS
dc/
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