At a time when most people have been firmly stating that Bollywood is currently experiencing one of its worst periods, 2024 also saw director Imtiaz Ali release one of his most significant films — Amar Singh Chamkila. However, the movie was released directly on an OTT platform, causing theatres, which were desperately seeking some relief, to miss out entirely. Since then, a question has been on everyone’s mind: would Chamkila have been as well-received and successful if it had been released in theatres first?
While taking part in the second edition of Expresso, a specially curated six-part series from The Indian Express, Imtiaz Ali and actor Taapsee Pannu addressed the burning query and shared some interesting insights.
Ali said, “The honest answer is we don’t know (at the moment) and we will realise only in retrospect. As filmmakers, we are here not only to conjecture but also to find opportunities to tell stories that we have. It won’t be as simplistic as ‘the big spectacles are for the big screens’. Almost the same things seem to be working on both OTTs and big screens. So, where is that coming from and how do you differentiate? It’s a human tendency to simplify and put in boxes. But sometimes you have to understand the butterfly that you are chasing; just keep running in that direction. There’ll be a little bit of changes and yes, we’ll realise what this phase has done to cinema. But, I don’t think we should put this much attention into just trying to figure it out.”
“One thing is clear — even we are not interested in seeing anything we have seen before. We are looking for a unique experience. We have to dive into ourselves and find what that is and present it to the audience,” he added.
During Expresso, Taapsee Pannu also explained how she decides whether a movie is best suited for OTT or theatres. “I have a very simple calculation. I try to understand if something requires a community viewing experience or if it’s okay to be watched one-on-one. I understand a story or concept will be fun when 100 people see it together for example Kalki 2898 AD or Munjya. Big laughs, big scale, big thrill and big chill are fun to watch when you are with 100-200 people and laughing and gasping together. Then there are certain films which are good for one-on-one experience. People woke up to my film Dhak Dhak when it came out on OTT. We waited for the big screen thinking we had spent a lot of money to show it in theatres.”
HSBC presents Expresso in association with Taj Hotels was held at Taj Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad on July 5.
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