SMALL FILMS, BIG CRISIS

WITH THEATRICAL RELEASES BEING EXPENSIVE AND AUDIENCES NOT SHOWING UP FOR NON TENT-POLE MOVIES, THE SMALL- AND MEDIUM-BUDGET HINDI FILMS ARE IN CRISIS EVEN AS OTTS LOOK AT BOX-OFFICE PERFORMANCE TO AFFIX THEIR DIGITAL RIGHTS PRICE TAGS

- VIDYA S

1 Movies in the small- and mid-budget category are seen as not requiring appointment viewing, and can be watched at home on OTTs, whereas tent-pole films compel the audience to visit theatres

2 India has a 30 per cent OTT penetration (423.8 million OTT users), according to consultancy firm Ormax Media. Linear TV, still a vibrant content source, has over 600 million viewers

3 Apart from OTTs and linear TV, low-budget films also have to compete with an overload of content in the form of films from other languages, sports, events, concerts and plays

4 Theatrical releases are expensive for low-budget films made on less than ₹50 crore. Irrespective of the film’s scale, at least ₹5-10 crore is required for print and advertising (P&A) costs, which is a major drag for films made with just ₹20-30 crore