COVID-19: Carnival cinemas unhappy with digital release of films, call it a temporary phenomenon

After INOX and PVR now Carnival Cinemas have expressed their disappointment over big movies with leading actors heading to OTT platforms for the release. The theatre stakeholders have also issued a statement expressing their concern over the matter and stated that the management was expecting to filmmakers to stand by the theatres in this grave situation. After he makers of movies like Ayushmann Khurrana and Amitabh Bachchan's Gulabo Sitabo, Vidya Balan's Shakuntala Devi have announced the OTT release on Amazon Prime Video amid the Coronavirus outbreak multiplex owners clearly stated their displeasure. Directed by Shoojit Sircar, Gulabo Sitabo will premiere on 12 June 2020 and will be available in 200 countries and territories worldwide. On the other hand, the release date of Shakuntala Devi is yet to be announced.

Even some of the Bollywood celebs condemned the antics of theatre owners Hum Tum director Kunal Kohli as among those who disagreed with the theatre owners. The filmmaker asked if the multiplexes ever shared the revenue from the sale of food and beverage, claiming how audiences paid more for popcorn than even the tickets.  Ishq Vishk director Ken Ghosh felt the multiplex owners should not be worried and that once services would resume, they will have numerous films that will release. He said the decision was sparked by financial constraints. Director Sanjay Gupta said it was an ‘exception’ and not the ‘new norm.' Meanwhile, the Producers Guild of India justified the movie of OTT release by saying that they need to stay in business.