Festive box office revives faith in theatres
Live MintThe impressive box office collections of big-ticket Diwali releases such as Sooryavanshi and Annaatthe have revived the confidence of filmmakers in theatres and though the recovery may seem slow, fewer films will go directly to digital platforms, said film trade analysts. Upcoming titles such as Ayushmann Khurrana’s Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui and Karan Johar’s Govinda Mera Naam have already sold rights for streaming after these films release in theatres. In the last phase of direct-to-digital releases, Telugu mystery thriller Drushyam 2, Hindi language horror film Chhori, and Malayalam releases such as Bro Daddy, Monster and Minnal Murali, which will premiere across OTT platforms over the next few weeks, had all locked in deals several months ago when there was no clarity on reopening of theatres across different states. It still makes sense for Malayalam films to go the OTT route given that the limited theatre market within the home state of around 300 cinemas has not opened up completely, said independent trade analyst Sreedhar Pillai.