Sitaare Zameen Par also made news as Aamir Khan didn’t sell the OTT rights before release. Reportedly, he plans to release the film on YouTube after its theatrical run, on a pay-per-view basis. Has the film’s success, without pre-sold OTT rights, set a new precedent or raised risk?
Sitaare Zameen Par OTT rights not pre-sold – a new precedent or does it raise risk? Trade experts share their views: “We make such poor films that makers feel that it won’t run beyond 2 weeks. Hence, they are okay releasing it on OTT in 4 weeks; hum soch mein beimaan ho gaye”
Trade veteran Taran Adarsh explained, “It’s a risk. Maybe, Aamir is more secure than other producers in terms of finance. But he’s a producer after all and he’ll look at it sooner or later. I don’t think it will be a trend in the future. Everyone wants to have a safety net and be in a comfort zone. They want to financially cover their risk. Aamir took that risk and it’s great that he hasn’t yet sold. But to be that kind of producer is a rarity in today’s times.”
Trade analyst Atul Mohan explained, “It has already set a precedent. Anupam Kher also said that he hasn’t sold the rights to his film Tanvi The Great to any streaming platform. This can be a good thing. Nowadays, you already know which film is going to premiere on which OTT platform after its theatrical run. It influences moviegoing habits to an extent. One might think, ‘Dedh do mahine mein toh yeh film OTT pe aa hi jayegi’. Also, with OTT, one can watch the film at their convenience. With a TV channel, one has to see it when it’s aired. You might not know when it’ll be screened again. On OTT, there’s no hurry as you can watch it when you get time.”
He also suggested, “The producers should ask the streaming giants not to publicise that their film is releasing on their platform. That kind of embargo is necessary. That way, the audience won’t know about its OTT status and hopefully will check out the film. There’s no harm in trying this strategy.”
Distributor and exhibitor Raj Bansal exulted, “If Hindi cinema needs to be revived, it is the right thing to do. The makers are losing the audience due to OTT and expensive cinema tickets. If we keep a check on cinema tickets and if we avoid OTT release for at least 3 months, if not more, it’ll pay them rich dividends. Sadly, our industry is making such poor films that they feel that it won’t run beyond 1 or 2 weeks in cinemas. Hence, they are okay releasing it on OTT in just 4 weeks. In short, hum soch mein beimaan ho gaye.”
Girish Johar, producer and eminent film business analyst, signed off by saying, “It gives certain hope to certain filmmakers that all is not lost if you haven’t sold the OTT rights. If the filmmaker is confident of his product, then he can opt for this strategy. It has opened a new door. If there are multiple avenues available, it helps de-risk, leading to more opportunities. Hence, more films will be made and that would also result in an increase in habitual visits to cinemas and not just during event movies.”
He further elaborated, “What makes me happy is that films like Sitaare Zameen Par will get the audiences back. Hopefully, the trend of the audience from event movie watching to habitual movie watching will return. Earlier, if they were visiting cinemas twice a month, they are now coming four times. I am bullish on that happening.”
More Pages: Sitaare Zameen Par Box Office Collection , Sitaare Zameen Par Movie Review
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