Reviewing the change in consumption pattern of cinegoers post pandemic; What's working, what isn't?

The Indian exhibtion sector, faced a tough time during and post the pandemic. Here's an analysis on the kind of films that audiences prefer watching in theatres.

By Rishil Jogani

Published on Oct 09, 2022 | 09:03 AM IST | 9.1M

Here's an analysis on the post pandemic scenario of movies and movie theatres. (Credit: T-Series)

Ever since the Coronavirus hit the world, a lot of radical changes have been observed. The lifestyle of people changed a lot after the pandemic and safety became the number one priority. People became more and more cautious as they moved out and having on a mask became the new normal as one left their house. The movie industry went through a set of major changes through the pandemic, some for the better and some for the worse. In this piece, we will be covering how consumption of movies really changed dramatically, post pandemic.

First major Bollywood film that took the digital route, eclipsing a theatre release

The lockdown forced people to stay in their houses and the prospective theatre going audience started looking for alternatives to get their film fix. The OTT (Over-the-top medium) revolution caught steam in mid 2022, when a number of films touted as theatrical releases, directly premiered digitally, eclipsing the conventional theatre-first option, that had been going on since movies started to be made in India. The Shoojit Sircar directorial Gulabo Sitabo, co-starring Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana was the first major title that opted for a direct digital release and the makers received a lot of flak for the same since films never eclipsed a theatrical release in the past and this step could dramatically affect the exhibition sector which exhibits movies, forever. Ofcourse, the makers had a reason as they could not hold onto their film for much longer, but it was the first step in that direction. As more and more ready-to-release films started taking the digital route to recover their costs, it affected the harmony between the movie producers and the exhibitors.

Resurrection of the exhibition sector in India

Exhibition sector, which really had to face the wrath of the Coronavirus, received little or no support from the central of state governments. With many producers not complying to the existing clause of showcasing a film in theatres first, many theatres were coaxed to shut down, with no other real alternative. The other movie industries soon bounced into action with the Kollywood and Tollywood industry paving the way. Thalapathy Vijay's Master and Ravi Teja and Shruti Haasan's crack emerged as big blockbusters theatrically, early in 2021, and led to other films releasing in theatres. Bollywood, which had a-listers fall back upon direct to digital options too, found it tough to bounce back. The first real success was Sooryavanshi, which mustered over Rs. 195 crore nett in India. The successes were far spread and since Sooryavanshi, there only have been 4 films that have really succeeded to emerge hits theatrically.

What kind of films do audiences want to watch in theatres?

Audiences made a clear divide on the films they wished to watch in theatres and films that they preferred to watch on the digital medium. Film genres like social dramas, dramas and biopics have found it tough to find an audience since viewers are not keep on watching such films in theatres. The failure of films like 83, Chandigarh Kare Aashiquii, Laal Singh Chaddha, Runway 34 and Anek, and the success of Pushpa: The Rise, RRR, KGF Chapter 2, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Brahmastra Part 1: Shiva have only further proven that audiences want to watch content that warrants for a big theatre experience. Also remake films have not found acceptance post-covid because the original version of the film, generally in multiple dubbed languages, is available on digital platforms and viewers don't wish to spend additional money on them. Recently, the failure of Laal Singh Chaddha and Vikram Vedha, starring 2 A-listers, has made it even clearer.

Actors who are facing the wrath of being available for free to watch, digitally

Actors, who were available to viewers for free, due to their decision of coming on digital, have faced the consequences since films of those actors are not able to secure the initial audience that is required. Ayushmann Khurrana and Akshay Kumar extensively preferred releasing their films digitally and the writing is now on the wall. When viewers are made to watch a piece of content for free, they don't prefer spending the extra buck unless it warrants for a big theatre experience.

Acceptance of dubbed movie content

Most viewers who consumed Bollywood have found different movie alternatives in the course of the last 2 years. The consumption of dubbed content has increased. There have been films which may not have done massive numbers, but have shown that audience will watch films from other movie industries, even with no face value, if it is exciting. Movies like Kantara, Vikram, Karthikeya 2, Pushpa: The Rise and 777 Charlie have only proven that a known name is not really required to pull in the crowds.

Conscious efforts made to win over the audience

Actors are becoming more careful about the films that they are choosing. Many are shifting to backend deals so that the project is not overburdened by their presence and so that the production quality is not compromised. A conscious effort is made, not to remake content, since it is finding little or no acceptance. Of course there is a backlog of releases consisting of remakes and niche subjects, but once the clutter settles, there will be a lot of new, original and exciting content to look forward to.

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