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Billie Eilish becomes youngest star to headline Glastonbury
Nineteen-year-old pop singer Billie Eilish has broken numerous records in her short career. Now she will become the Glastonbury Festival’s youngest-ever solo headliner when she takes the stage at the 2022 event.
Eilish teased the news on Sunday on Instagram, posing herself wearing a Glastonbury hoodie in a photo captioned “2022." The festival's organizers confirmed Monday that the American singer will perform on June 24.
Read:Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan arrested after rave party raid
“This feels like the perfect way for us to return and I cannot wait!” organizer Emily Eavis said.
The festival was supposed to celebrate its 50th anniversary last year, but it was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. This year it hosted a five-hour livestream event featuring Coldplay and Damon Albarn, among others.
Eilish has taken the world by storm since she broke onto the scene in 2015 with her debut single “Ocean Eyes.” The young singer has since won Grammys for record of the year, album of the year, song of the year and best new artist.
Read: Bad Bunny tops Billboard Latin Music Awards with 10 trophies
Eilish made her Glastonbury debut in 2019 after her set was upgraded from a slot on the John Peel stage during the five-day music festival held in Somerset, southwest England.
Eilish is also the youngest performer to write and record a James Bond theme song. She was among the stars at the “No Time To Die” Bond film world premiere in London last week.
Eilish will be 20 years and 6 months old when she headlines the Gastonbury festival in June 2022.
Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan arrested after rave party raid
India's narcotics police Sunday arrested Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan after hours of grilling in connection with a rave party it busted on board a cruise ship near Mumbai.
Acting on a tip-off, some 30 sleuths of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), disguised as passengers, boarded 'Empress' Saturday evening, which departed Mumbai for the neighbouring state of Goa late at night.
The ship was carrying mostly celebrities from Bollywood and the fashion industry. As soon as the rave party began, the NCB sleuths swung into action and caught red-handed those consuming drugs.
Also read: Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan detained after rave party raid
"Aryan, his close friend Arbaaz, and eight others were soon detained with drugs. The cruise ship was forced to return to the port of Mumbai. While two of the detainees were freed after questioning, Aryan and seven others have been arrested," an official said.
Aryan's father Shah Rukh is considered the most talented Bollywood star. Popularly called the "King Khan", he has acted in over 80 films in a career spanning over 25 years.
Shah Rukh, in fact, rose to prominence after starring in 1995 romantic film 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge', the longest-running blockbuster in the history of Indian cinema. The film was shot in India and Europe.
Some of his other blockbusters include 'Dil To Pagal Hai' (1997) and 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' (1998). Shah Rukh was also widely praised for his superb performance in 2002 film 'Devdas', where he played an alcoholic.
Also read: Shah Rukh Khan's daughter Suhana to make Bollywood debut soon?
The 55-year-old has also anchored many TV shows, and owns production company Red Chillies Entertainment and Indian Premier League cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders.
Shah Rukh has a net worth of USD 700 million. The superstar is married to interior designer Gauri Chibber, a Punjabi Hindu. Apart from Suhana, they have two sons.
Rockstar James showered with love of fans, co-artists on 57th birthday
National Award-winning rock icon Faruq Mahfuz Anam, better known as James, and celebrated as 'Nagar Baul' or simply 'Guru,' turned 57 on Saturday, and admirers showered the certified legend of the country's band music scene with genuine respect and affection in spades across the country, as well as virtual platforms.
Since the late 1980s, the most charismatic frontman of his generation with renowned rock band 'Nagar Baul' (formerly known as 'Feelings'), has entrenched his legacy in the hearts of his followers, who eagerly anticipate the rock legend's birthday celebrations each and every year.
While millions of fans across the globe have been celebrating the day with noteworthy events, his fans and admirers in the Bangladeshi entertainment sphere showered the iconic superstar throughout the day, sharing their special moments and tributes.
Read: Rockstar James turns 55
Marking the day, popular actors Ziaul Faruq Apurba and Afran Nisho shared their candid presentation of the song "Jodi Kokhono Bhul Hoye Jay," one of the popular songs of James from Apurba's official Facebook page as a tribute to the legend. Apurba sang the track while Nisho companied playing the acoustic guitar.
Aurthohin frontman and pioneer bass guitarist Saidus Khaled, also popularly known as 'Bassbaba Sumon', shared a picture with James with a heartfelt caption mentioning how he became a mainstream musician because of James.
"When I completed my SSC exam, I went to one of the practice sessions of his band 'Feelings' at his house with one of my friends, and he insisted me to play bass guitar at the session with the band. I did not have any experience nor a personal guitar, but after the session he invited me to join the band saying "Welcome to Feelings," which eventually launched my mainstream music career," Sumon wrote on his Facebook profile on Saturday.
Many other bands, musicians and celebrities have also shared their memories with the rock legend on Facebook and Instagram, showring the superstar with love and blessings throughout the day.
Besides, fans of the legendary singer under the banner ‘Dushtu Cheler Dol' have arranged numerous events in 64 districts throughout the nation, according to James Spokesperson Rubaiyat Tagore Robin. Seeking the well-being and good health for the rock superstar, special prayers have been held in Dhaka, Khulna, Jessore, Narsingdi, Rangpur, Meherpur, Kurigram, Bhola, Patuakhali, Kishoreganj, and other locations across the nation.
Fans in Kishoreganj have taken initiative to test blood groups for free from 10 am to 4 pm in several places inside the district .Meanwhile, the day is being celebrated by expatriate Bangladeshi fans in 16 countries of the world, most notably in the United States, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Dubai etc.
They have also shared photographs and emotional posts in the social media platforms regarding their celebrations and memories of attending his concerts.
Robin further said that James has given a special message to the fans on the occasion of his birthday. "As long as you're here, I'm here," said the rock legend with gratitude to his fans and admirers.
Born in 1964 in Naogaon at Rajshahi, James was brought up in Chittagong due to his father Mojammel Haque's work who later became the Chairman of the Dhaka Education Board. His family did not approve his wish to become a music artist, thus he left home in 1976 and started living in Aziz Boarding in Pahartali, Chittagong.
Without the approval of his family, James started his profound journey in music in his youth during the late 70's. He formed his band 'Feelings' in 1977 with himself on vocals and lead guitar, and released the band's first album 'Station Road' in 1987. The band was later renamed as 'Nagar Baul', a moniker that James has also adopted individually.
Besides the other two companions, LRB and ARK in the 'Big Three of Bangladeshi Rock' in the 90's era in Bangladeshi music industry, James garnered immense popularity among fans all over the world with his versatile style in psychedelic rock. He has also established his legacy as a solo artist and a successful playback singer in both Dhallywood and Bollywood. In 2006, he debuted in Bollywood as a playback singer in Anurag Basu's film 'Gangstar', and his journey in Bollywood was continued with three other films - 'Woh Lamhe' (2006), 'Life... in a Metro' (2007) and 'Warning' (2013).
In his motherland, James received the Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer twice for the films 'Desha: The Leader' (2014) and 'Swatta' (2017). As a solo artist, he has released a total of 8 albums and many mixed albums with renowned artists of Bangladesh.
'Taray Taray Rotiye Debo' (penned by legendary poet Shamsur Rahman), 'Maa', 'Bangladesh', 'Pagla Hawaa', 'Dushtu Chheler Dol', 'Guru Ghor Banaila Ki Diya', 'Mirabai' etc. are some of James's iconic Bengali rock numbers that cemented his legacy as 'Guru' to his fans in all over the world.
James has also proved his versatility in other mediums as a photographer and media entrepreneur. He is the Founder and Chairman of the board of renowned Bangladeshi production house Red Dot Entertainment.
Drama returns to Dhaka as Ganga-Jamuna fest breaks Covid jinx
Good news for drama buffs. After a long hiatus due to the Covid pandemic, the popular Ganga-Jamuna Cultural Festival has returned to Dhaka.
Commemorating the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the golden jubilee of independent Bangladesh, the festival was inaugurated at the National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) on Friday by State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid.
However, noted music composer, freedom fighter and Shwadhin Bangla Betar Kendra artiste Shujeyo Sham could not join the inaugural ceremony due to illness.
Former Minister for Cultural Affairs Asaduzzaman Noor, legendary thespian Ramendu Majumdar, ‘Mancha Sharathi’ Ataur Rahman, Dhaka Theatre president Nasiruddin Yousuff, and BSA director general Liaquat Ali Lucky also joined the inauguration ceremony as special guests.
Ganga-Jamuna Sangskritik Utsab Parshad’s member secretary Akter Uzzaman delivered the welcome speech at the inaugural ceremony, which was presided over by Parishad convener Ghulam Quddus.
READ: Ganga-Jamuna Cultural Festival set to return Friday
The guests then inaugurated the 12 day-long festival, lighting Mangal Pradeep. The organisers also paid tribute to cultural activists who passed away during the pandemic by holding a photography exhibition at the venue.
Inaugurating the festival, KM Khalid said, “After so many devastating and frustrating days, it feels great to welcome back this kind of grant festival and audiences. From our Ministry of Cultural Affairs, we want to sponsor active cultural organisations. To ensure adequate support to the appropriate organisations, we will prepare a list and hand it over to cultural icons after proper evaluation.”
On his part, former Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor said, “We should not compromise when it comes to ensuring the quality of our theatre productions. Before we give out incentives, we need to make sure that the groups and performances are of high quality. To ensure high-quality products, we must be critical of our own work, especially after the long break.”
Echoing similar sentiments, Nasiruddin Yousuff said, “After an 18-month hiatus, we returned to the stage tonight to present quality productions in front of the audience. Though we were unable to work for a long period due to the pandemic, we must now work diligently to recover. A number of demands have been made to the government by cultural activists, which I hope will be met shortly.”
None of the Indian cultural groups is participating in this year's festival due to the pandemic, so their local counterparts will be carrying the stage. At the inaugural ceremony, the guests paid respect to late theatre personality Amalesh Chakraborty, who initiated the Ganga-Jamuna Cultural Festival in Kolkata.
Enthralling the audiences, a group performance of the National Anthem was presented by Bangladesh Gana Sangeet Samannay Parishad artistes at the ceremony. It was followed by a special dance recital, presented by Spandan and choreographed by Anik Basu.
A minute of silence was observed in honour of those who passed away during the 1971 Liberation War and the pandemic.
After the inauguration, Theatre Bailey Road presented Syed Shamsul Haq's renowned play 'Payer Awaj Pawa Jay' at the National Theatre Hall auditorium. Originally directed by late thespian Abdullah Al Mamun, the rendition is directed by Sudip Chakroborty.
READ: Thoughts of Shams: Solo Content Creator Playing Multiple Characters
In addition, Aranyak Natyadal presented 'Kohe Facebook' in the Experimental Theatre Hall, written and directed by legendary thespian Mamunur Rashid, while Shilpakala Academy Dhaka presented 'Janaker Mrityu Nei' at BSA’s Studio Theatre Hall, written by Abdul Halim Aziz and directed by Soron Saha.
The 9th edition of the Ganga-Jamuna Cultural Festival will showcase 36 theatrical performances by 36 different theatre groups from Dhaka and beyond. Music, choreography, and recitation will be performed by 44 music recitations and dance troupes in the auditorium, and the festival will showcase around 3,500 artistes from 140 noted and promising cultural groups.
In addition to these performances, 12 street plays alongside the presentation of 11 recitation groups, 12 music groups, 11 dance groups, 10 children's groups and solo recitals and solo music performances will be showcased on the open stage every day from 4 pm to 6.30 pm every day while the stage play will start at 7 pm.
Ganga-Jamuna Cultural Festival set to return Friday
After a long hiatus, the Ganga-Jamuna Cultural Festival returns October 1st (Friday) to the Shilpakala Academy, commemorating the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the golden jubilee of independent Bangladesh.
However, the Indian cultural groups will not be present in this year's festival due to the pandemic, so the local counterparts will be carrying the stage. Ganga-Jamuna Sangskritik Utsab Parshad organised the eighth edition of the festival in association with Cultural Ministry of Bangladesh, India-Bangladesh Foundation and BSA.
The last edition of the festival comprising artists' collectives from the lands along which the eponymous rivers flow, Indians and Bangladeshis, was held in 2019, at which point it had been an annual event for eight years.
The convening committee of this year's festival held a press conference at the seminar room of the Academy on Wednesday.
Playwright Mir Zahid Hasan, member of the committee and convener of the campaign sub-boards, read out a written statement presided over by Golam Kuddus, convener of the festival and vice-president of Sammilita Sangskritik Jote.
The 12-day festival will be held from October 1 to 12 at the main auditorium hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala National Theater, Experimental Theater Hall, Studio Theater Hall, National Music-Dance-Recitation Auditorium and the open stage of the National Theater Hall.
"We were unable to hold the festival last year because of the Coronavirus pandemic. In the last one and a half years, we have lost many cultured people in our country, cultural activists and countless people. We, the Ganga-Jamuna Cultural Festival Board, convey our utmost respect for all,” the organizers said at the press conference.
They further stated that this year's event would showcase 36 theatrical performances by 36 different theatre groups from Dhaka and beyond. Music, choreography, and recitation will be performed by 44 music recitations and dance troupes in the auditorium, and the festival will showcase around 3500 artists from 140 noted and promising cultural groups.
In addition to these performances, 12 street-plays alongside the presentation of 11 recitation groups, 12 music groups, 11 dance groups, 10 children's groups and solo recitals and solo music performances will be showcased on the open stage.
Eminent music composer, Freedom Fighter and Shwadhin Bangla Betar Kendra artist Shujeyo Sham will inaugurate the 12-day festival on Friday at the National Theater Auditorium. State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid will be the chief guest at the inaugural function.
Eminent thespians including former Minister for Cultural Affairs Asaduzzaman Nur, Ramendu Majumder, Ataur Rahman, Mamunur Rashid, Nasiruddin Yousuff And Liaquat Ali Lucky, Chairman of Bangladesh Group Theater Federation and Director General of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy will be the guests of honour in the inaugural session.
Welcoming remarks will be made by Akhtaruzzaman, Member Secretary of the Festival Board and will be presided over by Gelam Quddus, Convener of the Festival Board.
The inaugural evening will then showcase “Paayer Awaaz Paoa Jay,” written by Syed Shamsul Haque and directed by Abdullah Al Mamun at the National Theatre Hall. Meanwhile, the Experimental Theater Hall will have Aranyak Natyadal's play "Kohe Facebook," written and directed by Mamunur Rashid.
The cultural stage will start from 4pm to 6:30pm every day and the stage play will start at 7 in the evening every day. Advance tickets for the play will be on sale at the counter.
Thoughts of Shams: Solo Content Creator Playing Multiple Characters
Creating innovative fresh content on social media is now a popular trend in Bangladesh and other countries around the world. But the context of building a career based on it is not only surprising but also daring. Thankfully, some creative youths of Bangladesh have stepped into this challenging and inspirational career. ‘Thoughts of Shams’, the brainchild of Shams, has set a shining example of successful online content creation through Facebook and YouTube. Today's feature focuses on Thoughts of Shams.
Personal life of Bangladeshi female YouTuber Shams
The woman behind Thoughts of Shams is known to all as Shams; Her full name is Shams Afroz Chowdhury. Close loved ones call her Prova.
Shams, a girl from Comilla, passed HSC in 2009 with GPA-5 and got admission to BBA in a private university. After graduating, she joined a private bank in 2013 for an internship.
Read:Tale of Hoichoi: The Bengali OTT Platform is Reaching Bengalis worldwide
In 2018, this meritorious student completed her MBA from Dhaka University. Early in her career, Shams taught in a private English medium School.
Although her journey of content creation and marital life began together, neither of them ever stood in the way of each other.
The story of Shams becoming a content creator
During her MBA, Shams continued to prepare herself for BCS and bank jobs. Even after repeatedly applying for jobs, there was no response from anywhere as expected. Instead, she had to return home disappointed from each interview.
While working in a private English medium school, she was not getting a proper evaluation of her work. These situations eventually made Shams anxious about her career.
Read:Web Series "Boli": Chanchal Chowdhury Again in an Unprecedented Character
On August 13, 2017, she created a Facebook page titled ‘Thoughts of Shams’ and started writing about various inconsistencies in society. One day a sudden thought came to her mind, what if she made videos with her written content!
Robi, Gaan Bangla launch second season of Rhythm Online
Robi and Gaan Bangla have teamed up again to launch the second season of the musical show "Robi Rhythm Online."
Robi Rhythm Online is a weekly music show that is broadcast live every Friday at 9pm from the official Facebook page of Robi and Gaan Bangla.
To date, five episodes of the second season have gone live. The next episode will go live on October 1, 9pm where popular artist Hasib will perform.
READ: PIB assistant professor Quamrun Nahar Ruma dies of Covid-19
Luipa, Mizan, Dora, Shamim, Oishee, and Priyo have already performed in the ongoing season.
Also, audiences can ask questions and make requests for their favourite songs by commenting on relevant posts on Robi Facebook page before the show.
READ: Another EC official dies of Covid in Mymensingh
Robi and Gaan Bangla teamed up last year to launch the first season of the show. Against the backdrop of the pandemic situation, the social media-based live show quickly caught on with the fans of popular artists, according to a media statement.
Tale of Hoichoi: The Bengali OTT Platform is Reaching Bengalis worldwide
Over-The-Top or OTT platforms are gradually taking place in the heart of cosmopolitans beyond the influence of satellite and cable TV in the advancement of technology. OTT basically provides media services to the viewers through the internet. This vibe of globalization has already spread among the Bengali-speaking people. On September 20, 2018, Hoichoi launched in India as the world's first Bengali OTT platform. Hoichoi delivers the latest Bengali movies, web series, and music videos. Let’s get to know about this video streaming site.
Read: How OTT platforms saved India's film industry during the pandemic
OTT platform Hoichoi: A new horizon of Bengali entertainment
With the advent of Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu, Bengalis have become quite accustomed to new terminologies of entertainment. By virtue of technology, and modern devices like next-generation TVs, laptops, and smartphones, access to entertainment has reached the palm of the viewers. By nature, people enjoy watching media in a familiar language. Sri Venkatesh Films Pvt. Ltd. (SVF), the largest entertainment distribution and production company in eastern India, discovered this possibility in 2016. Meanwhile, the transition from 3G to 4G was in full swing.
Read Free Online Movies: Best Netflix Alternatives for Streaming Movies in 2021
According to Our World in Data, the number of Internet users in South-Asia in 2017 was 468 million, which is 312.84 million more than that of five years ago. So, with the simultaneous advancement of 4G's easy availability, SVF intended to cross the boundaries of social media.
Thus, the online video streaming service - Hoichoi appears in the world of OTT platforms. It won’t be overwhelming to say that SVF presents HoiChoi as an alternative to Netflix to the Bengali community. Some people also call it Bengali Netflix.
The people behind the online streaming service Hoichoi
The think tanks of Hoichoi are Srikant Mohta, Mahendra Soni, and Vishnu Mohta. Currently, Vishnu Mohta is acting as the chairperson. These three visionary directors of SVF plan and manage the airing of versatile Bangla contents through Hoichoi.
Raed: Web Series "Boli": Chanchal Chowdhury Again in an Unprecedented Character
While Hoichoi started its journey, SVF had already got a reputation as a high-profile production company. SVF has been distributing Hollywood and Bollywood films in eastern India for almost two decades. From the Kolkata headquarters in West Bengal, Hoichoi began working with a mission to ensure 360-degree entertainment for 250 million Bengalis worldwide.
Viewlift has been working with Hoichoi as a partner since October 2016. Besides overseeing the different sectors of entertainment, like distribution, media costs, and monetization; Viewlift is involved with the development, and operation of the official website and app of Hoichoi.
Rediffusion Y&R is in charge of the creative work associated with the advertising campaign and visuals of Hoichoi's content. Even the name Hoichoi is given by this creative agency.
Read Bengali OTT Platforms for Watching Movies, Web Series, Musical Shows
Hoichoi Video Streaming: Entering the Future of Bangla Entertainment
By virtue of the innovative practice of entertainment, the world is now living within what was once a possibility. Like Netflix, Hoichoi is gaining traction on mobile phones, tablets, Amazon Fire TVs, Apple TVs, desktops, laptops, Roku TVs, and Chromecast-enabled devices.
On Hoichoi, Customers can enjoy 500+ Bangla movies, exclusive original shows, short films, music videos as well as new content every month. This Bengali OTT platform is staying up-to-date with a huge amount of content at a low cost. Viewers can watch their favorite media while sitting at home or roaming outdoors.
All in all, gone are the days when the audience used to rely on the mercy of the TV channels to watch entertaining programs broadcasted on the basis of weekly or monthly schedules. On the other hand, the video streaming site Hoichoi is getting customers accustomed to the ‘Search and Enjoy’ concept. Besides, customers have been flocking to the OTT platform for a long time due to attractive opportunities like freemium, and offline download.
Read Best Bengali Thriller Movies in 2021
Bad Bunny tops Billboard Latin Music Awards with 10 trophies
Bad Bunny is the champion of the Billboard Latin Music Awards, taking home artist of the year honors and a whopping 10 trophies.
Among the awards received Thursday by the urban music superstar were Hot Latin Song of the Year for “Dákiti” and album of the year for “YHLQMDLG.”
Also read: Drake, Pink, The Weeknd win big at Billboard Music Awards
“Thanks always to all the audience for all the support, for supporting the music we make, thanks to all those who worked on this anthem,” said Bad Bunny after receiving the Hot Latin Song award. “Thank you for always being there for us. You are the ones who give us this award.”
The awards were handed out at a ceremony at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida, that was attended by Latin superstars Marc Anthony, Camila Cabello and more.
The Black Eyed Peas won Latin Pop Song of the Year for “Mamacita,” while Karol G, Maluma and The Weeknd each won two awards apiece.
Performers included Rosalía, Juanes, Daddy Yankee, Karol G and Maná.
How OTT platforms saved India's film industry during the pandemic
What Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar once claimed may have been true till mid-March 2020. But the year that followed since then proved Akshay wrong and the head of Star and Disney India, Uday Shankar, right.
Akshay claimed: “Movies will always be the first birth right of the theatres.” So was it until Covid-19 lashed India and the pandemic changed everything. Uday was absolutely unequivocal in his disagreement with the superstar. He said: “Movies are the birth right of nobody but the audiences.”
Therefore, it is of least relevance how movies and other entertainment contents are made available to the audiences. And OTT (over-the-top) platforms or direct digital releases (DDR) are today doing exactly that -- making movies and every other entertainment contents the birth right of the audiences.
The traditional dynamics that have ruled and run Indian film and entertainment industry are gradually becoming antiquated. Viewing medium is shifting fast from theatres and television sets to mobile phones and computer screens as more and more movies and other entertainment contents are getting released on various OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar and Zee5.
Big budget Bollywood movie starring Amitabha Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana, Gulabo Sitabo, pioneered the change. It debuted on Amazon Prime Video and was followed on its heels by Choked, Chintu ka Birthday, Ghoomketu, Mrs Serial Killer, Maska, Bamfaad, What Are The Odds and Ateet. They all set a trend by debuting on various OTT platforms; Indian cinema, began shifting online making movie watching easy and affordable.
The trend Gulabo Sitabo set in encouraged the Bollywood biggies like Akshay, Ajay Devgan and Alia Bhatt to break away from the tradition and agree on selling their movies to OTT platforms.
This trend opened the floodgates for many more Bollywood movies to premiere on different OTT platforms in 2020. They include some big budget movies like Shakuntala Devi on Amazon Prime Video, Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl on Netflix, Dil Bechara on Disney+Hotstar, Sadak 2 on Disney+Hotstar, Laxmii on Disney+Hotstar, Ludo on Netflix, and Coolie No 1, a remake of the 1995 film of the same name, on Amazon Prime Video.
More than anything else at the core of this shift from theatres to OTT platforms lay the uncertainties and stagnation the Covid pandemic slapped on Indian cinema industry in general. The contagion and consequential lockdown dented the industry beyond any quick recovery; the industry shrunk by over 29 percent in the first quarter of the last year alone simply because a huge amount of money of Rs 183 billion industry got stuck due to non-release of many movies.
Read Cannes Film Festival 2021: Movies and Filmmakers under the Limelight
Blood was gushing out of Bollywood from everywhere. Covid and lockdown virtually wrecked India’s Hindi film industry forcing Akshay to admit “…with the pandemic, we are seeing a situation where we have created this space (OTT) where more and more audiences can enjoy what we make for them …” while announcing direct to digital release of Laxmmi Bomb -- a horror comedy.
The second wave of the pandemic and fresh bouts of lockdown drove the last nail into the coffins of India’s theatre halls and the way movies were released since time immemorial. The new situation made all the downstream business of the film industry stand wobbling at the threshold of both disaster and change.
Emergence of OTT platforms, “propelled by,” as digital marketing expert KS Sharma said that “the rise in the standard of living, evolution of smartphones, ubiquitous and affordable Internet connectivity coupled with increasing penetration in rural areas” may make the distributing business of cinemas virtually redundant.
But DDR opened new vistas for the industry. Apart from offering a leeway to get out of the stagnation the industry found itself in the wake of the pandemic and lockdowns the OTT platforms, as Uday said, "offered an opportunity to grow the market and for more films to be made and released. It is deeply strategic and the right thing for all” because “the potential of the film industry and the viewership it has managed so far has been restricted because of India’s limited screen count and the release windows available which in turn, restrict … output and the appetite of audiences.”
It would certainly not be an exaggeration to say that the Indian film industry, including Bollywood, would have collapsed and become bankrupt had not the DDR or OTT platforms come as a redeemer.
Read: Rehana Maryam Noor screened at Cannes amid standing ovation
Industry analyst Girish Johar was quoted in the media as saying: “This is the first time in our history that the entire India box office is zero.”
OTT platforms, which according to Boston Consulting Group is expected to grow to $5 billion by 2023, have indeed become a game-changer for the movie industry. But will it sound the death knell for theatre halls and replace theatrical experiences.
Fear in the industry is palpable as many feel that with OTT becoming the next normal for Indian entertainment industry the OTT platforms will change the content, manner of release, star compensation and even the way movies are filmed and eliminate distribution business.
Optimism, however, still laces the industry. Theatre owner have still given up hopes and have not downed their curtains. Findings of Ormax Media still keep the hope burning in them. The Ormax survey says 82 percent Indians miss going to the theatres. And Alok Tandon, chief executive officer of Indian theatre operator Inox Leisure Ltd.,went on record saying, “We have got a lot of assurance from our producer friends that they all believe in the power of a theatrical exhibition.”
But there’s no denying the fact that the pandemic has changed the industry. It is unlikely to follow an unwritten rule of maintaining eight-week gap between digital and theatrical premiere of films. The gap is certain to come down to three or four weeks. The clout of the theatres has probably reduced for good and the theatre owners are in no position to control digital and satellite premieres.
"Movies have now truly become the birth right of the audiences," aptly summed up Delhi-based film critic Sapna Anchal.