With
the
nationwide
lockdown
continuing
because
of
the
Novel
Coronavirus
pandemic,
many
Indian
filmmakers
have
decided
to
release
their
movies
directly
on
streaming
platforms.
While
Amitabh
Bachchan-Ayushmann
Khurrana's
film
Gulabo
Sitabo
will
have
the
world
premiere
on
Amazon
Prime
Video
on
June
12,
2020,
Vidya
Balan's
Shakuntala
Devi
will
also
release
directly
on
the
web.
However,
some
exhibitors
are
unhappy
with
this
decision.
Post
the
announcement
of
Gulabo
Sitabo's
digital
release,
INOX,
which
is
one
of
the
major
theatre
chains
in
the
country,
expressed
dissatisfaction
over
films
going
directly
to
over-the-top
(OTT)
platforms
and
skipping
the
theatrical
release
entirely.
Another
major
theatre
chain,
PVR,
expressed
their
displeasure
over
this
release
model.
Kamal
Gianchandani,
CEO,
PVR
Pictures
told
HuffPost,
"We
are
disappointed
with
Gulabo
Sitabo's
decision
to
go
straight
to
a
streaming
platform.
We
were
hoping
that
the
producers
would
accede
to
our
request
to
hold
back
their
film's
release
till
cinemas
reopened."
Following
this,
the
Producers
Guild
of
India
responded
to
major
theatre
chains'
criticism
over
direct-to-web
releases
of
films,
with
an
official
statement.
Here's
the
full
statement
of
the
Producers
Guild
of
India:
"We
are
in
unprecedented
times,
facing
one
of
the
greatest
public
health
and
economic
emergencies
of
our
lifetimes.
This
is
a
time
for
the
entire
film
industry
to
come
together
with
empathy
and
support
for
the
difficult
predicament
that
each
of
our
constituents
finds
themselves
in
-
from
producers,
distributors,
exhibitors,
daily
wage
earners
and
technicians,
to
the
thousands
of
people
whose
lives
and
livelihoods
are
in
some
way
dependent
on
our
industry.
Hence
at
a
time
like
this,
it
is
disappointing
to
see
abrasive
and
unconstructive
messaging
from
some
of
our
colleagues
in
the
exhibition
sector.
Statements
that
call
for
"retributive
measures" against
producers
who
decide
to
take
their
movies
direct
to
OTT
platforms
-especially
at
a
time
when
cinemas
are
unfortunately
closed
for
the
foreseeable
future
-
do
not
lend
themselves
to
a
constructive
or
collaborative
dialogue
on
the
way
forward
for
the
industry.
The
production
sector
(just
like
the
exhibition
sector)
is
suffering
hundreds
of
crores
of
losses
on
a
daily
basis
-
-
Elaborate
and
expensive
sets
erected
for
under-production
films
have
had
to
be
taken
down
due
to
no
date
in
sight
for
shoots
to
resume,
with
the
sunk
cost
of
the
set
and
studio
rentals
to
be
borne
completely
by
producers
-
as
insurers
refuse
to
cover
the
cost.
Shoot
schedules
have
had
to
be
abruptly
cancelled
due
to
the
lockdown,
with
huge
cancellation
charges
being
borne
completely
by
the
producer
-
again
with
no
support
from
insurers.
-
Interest
costs
are
mounting
on
amounts
raised
to
fund
films,
with
producers
having
to
bear
this
additional
burden
with
no
date
in
sight
for
cinemas
to
re-open;
in
fact
with
the
knowledge
that
cinemas
may
be
one
of
the
last
sectors
of
the
service
sector
likely
to
be
given
permission
to
re-open.
-
Re-opening
of
cinemas
is
bound
to
be
staggered
across
the
country,
with
each
State
government
rightly
making
its
own
decision
on
the
appropriate
time
to
re-open
cinemas
in
their
State,
depending
on
the
intensity
of
the
outbreak
there.
Producers
of
Hindi
movies
will
have
to
wait
for
cinemas
across
the
entire
country
to
re-open,
as
the
economics
of
the
business
require
an
All
India
release.
For
cinemas
to
be
open
across
the
entire
country,
it
is
clear
we
are
sometime
away.
-
Even
when
cinemas
re-open
across
India,
there
is
no
guarantee
that
the
Overseas
theatrical
market
(which
is
a
key
component
of
the
economics
of
Hindi
films)
will
have
resumed.
Even
if
it
has
in
some
countries,
it
might
not
have
in
others,
hence
leading
to
additional
loss
of
revenue
for
a
producer.
-
When
cinemas
re-open,
we
should
be
prepared
for
lower
occupancies.
One,
because
of
the
social
distancing
norms
that
will
be
both
mandated
and
necessary
for
public
safety.
Secondly,
because
of
the
inevitable
concern
that
cinema-goers
will
have
about
venturing
back
into
public
spaces.
-
In
addition
to
this,
there
will
be
a
huge
backlog
of
releases,
and
the
smaller
and
medium
scale
films
especially
will
suffer
from
sub-optimal
showcasing
in
addition
to
all
the
concerns
above.
Given
this
combination
of
factors,
it
is
only
natural
that
Producers
who
have
already
invested
heavily
in
their
films
with
theatrical
revenue
assumptions
that
are
no
longer
feasible,
will
seek
out
all
avenues
available
to
recover
their
investment
and
to
stay
in
business.
At
a
time
like
this,
it
is
important
that
each
stakeholder
understands
and
empathises
with
the
predicament
of
the
other,
rather
than
adopting
an
adversarial
stance
which
is
counter-productive
for
the
entire
value
chain.
The
Producers
Guild
would
like
to
emphasise
that
we
are
unequivocally
and
passionately
supportive
of
the
theatrical
release
of
films,
and
a
theatrical
release
will
always
be
the
preference
for
movies
that
were
conceptualised
as
cinematic
experiences.
But
these
are
unprecedented
times
for
all
the
reasons
mentioned
above,
and
it
is
imperative
to
see
things
in
that
context.
For
producers
to
continue
to
keep
"producing"
the
movies
that
light
up
our
cinema
screens,
they
need
to
continue
to
be
in
business
in
the
first
place.
The
production
fraternity
would
like
to
work
collaboratively
with
the
exhibition
sector
to
ensure
that
once
cinemas
do
re-open
across
the
country,
we
do
all
we
can
to
bring
audiences
back
in
large
numbers
to
experience
our
movies
in
the
way
they
were
always
meant
to
be
enjoyed
-
at
the
theatres."