Sudha Chandran: Content has to pull the audience to the theatre

MUMBAI: As Bollywood continues to struggle to rake in the big numbers at the box office, actress Sudha Chandran says that good content will always attract the audience to watch a movie on the big screen. The actress says that films like The Kashmir Files and RRR are incredible and have done great business at the box office.

“I think today people have a choice. Secondly, people want to see something different. They don't want anything that's repetitive. Today, OTT platforms have different content. People definitely have options but we can't deny that Bollywood films are always here to stay. I still go to the theatre to watch a film, provided I get to know that it is a good film. There are still many people who are typical film buffs. They go and watch every film in the theatre. It's not that Bollywood films have come to an end or that Bollywood has taken a big blow. We still have films like RRR and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 as well as The Kashmiri Files and Gangubai Kathiawadi. If you see why these films are successful, it’s because of the different content,” she says.

She adds, “When people saw the performances of actors in The Kashmir Files, they didn't get up for almost a minute. So that was the impact of a good film. If you see Jug Jug Jiyo, that has also done very well. They crossed 100 crore. I think good films, good content, good actors and definitely stars add value to every film. At the end of day people have a lot of choices and they want something different.”

However, a film releasing on OTT also gives a sort of a safety net to producers. “People think that if I missed a film in the theatre, then I can watch it on OTT. People always have an option now. From the point of view of the producer as well, if a film doesn’t work in the theatre, they recover the money on OTT. Maybe that is also the reason that people are not coming to the theatres. They feel if a movie doesn't do well in two months, we will see it on an OTT platform,” she says.

However, the actress feels that star value will never leave Bollywood. “Bollywood can never move away from stardom, not at all. Some films flopped but there are other films that are performing well at the box office. I would never agree to the fact that Bollywood has moved away from stardom. Stardom is there and it will continue to stay. Now the thing is you can't take the audience for granted. You have to make a good film, something that can keep the audience gripped with their realistic approach. Content has to pull the audience to the theatre but I still believe stardom and Bollywood can't be separated from each other,” she says.