Ayushmann Khurrana’s political thriller Anek will have its satellite premiere on Sony MAX on 30 September. The Anubhav Sinha directed film had released in cinemas this May and made Rs. 8.15 crore at the box office.
Despite the failure of Jayeshbhai Jordaar, Anek, Attack, and Shabaash Mithu, made at modest budgets, a number of mid-sized films are looking to cash in on the post-covid demand, as smaller films are critical for both actors as well as the exhibition sector. However, ever since covid-led restrictions were eased, the audiences have been flocking theatres only for large spectacles, said trade experts. Actors Fahadh Faasil, Tovino Thomas and Rajkummar Rao who witnessed reasonable success with the films released directly on the streaming platforms during covid, and even garnering critical acclaim, have also released their recent films in theatres. A lot of actors and filmmakers have realised box office is critical for the film to generate enough chatter among audiences. You can always recover investments through an OTT release, but the audience validation beyond social media, which is a small world anyway, is important, according to trade experts. Theatrical releases are important to actors even if the film doesn’t fare well at the box office, they win audience’s love and appreciation while response to web releases is not as easy to gauge.
Movie channels contributed 24% to total television viewership and were the most viewed genre after general entertainment in 2020, according to a recent Ficci EY report. Amid the pandemic-induced mobility curbs, with people mostly home, TV audiences haven’t had a chance to watch these films in theatres, said broadcast industry executives. Small-town, mass-market audiences are also more likely to switch to films on TV rather than take to content on streaming platforms.
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