Speaking at a recent event, producer Bunny Vasu said that the short theatre-OTT window can spell doom for single screens. Most small Telugu movies get released on OTT within three weeks of their theatrical release. Some have been released within two weeks in recent months. He lamented that other film industries have taken or are in the process of taking steps to prevent a catastrophe. Vasu lamented that other film industries have taken or are taking steps to prevent a similar crisis.
This week, Kollywood decided to align its theatre-OTT window with Bollywood's by ensuring that big-ticket Tamil films are available for streaming only after eight weeks after their theatrical release. Eight full weeks from the release date is a good gap.
The Tamil film industry has woken up to the threats posed by early OTT streaming. The Telugu film industry, on the other hand, lacks the will and unity to enforce decisions made by industry bodies (that is, if they arrive at a consensus in the first place). "Telugu producers agree to do one thing in meetings and do the exact opposite when they go back," Bunny Vasu recently said.
