MUMBAI: A few days ago, theatre owners expressed their disappointment over Shoojit Sircar's decision to take his upcoming film online. The director had announced that he was releasing Gulabo Sitabo on an OTT platform. Theatre chains did not take the news well. Inox went ahead and warned there will be "retributive measures". While the brave decision was expected to invite reactions from distributors and multiplex owners, the director of the Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana starrer has now said that there is no turning back. Sircar spoke to Mid-Day and explained he decided to go ahead with the digital release after the scheduled release date was crossed and there was no solution on hand.
"Once you've made a decision, there can be no scope for fear. It's not about being brave; the situation compelled us to adapt. When I read Inox's [statement], I understood the theatre owners' point of view. If I were in their position, I, too, would have expressed my discomfort. I told them it's not a personal decision. If it weren't for the lockdown, the film would have released in theatres," he told the publication. He also added that while binging is the in-thing today, it will never replace the experience of watching a film on the big screen. "These platforms co-existed with theatres for the past few years. Binge-watching can't change the experience of going to cinemas," he said.
In a statement released by INOX a few weeks ago, called out the producers for their decision. The statement read, "Such acts, though isolated, vitiate the atmosphere of mutual partnership and paint these content producers as fair weather friends rather than all-weather life-long partners. Needless to say, INOX will be constrained to examine its options, and reserves all rights, including taking retributive measures, in dealing with such fair-weather friends."
"INOX would like to reiterate that as the backbone of the cinematic value chain, this windowing pattern has done wonders in terms of revenues for the content creators and all other stakeholders, as it offers them the opportunity to extract the best from all available mediums, which include cinemas, OTT platforms as well as satellite. INOX would like to urge all content creators not to skip the theatrical run, and stay with the age old and established windowing pattern, which is in the best interests of all stakeholders in the value chain," they added.
SOURCE – PINKVILLA
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