Changing Bollywood times: OTT platforms now calling the shots; actors, producers losing authority

Things have changed drastically in Bollywood and the overall Indian film industry these last few years. While earlier it was Bollywood that was considered to represent India across the globe, movies like Baahubali and RRR have shown that South Indian cinema is way ahead of the Hindi film industry when it comes to using VFX, and storytelling.

The last few years have been not so good for Bollywood which has delivered only a few big hits like Pathaan, Jawan, Gadar 2, Animal, and now Stree 2. The other movies that were superhits were Pushpa 1, KGF 2, RRR, and Kalki 2898 AD – all from the South. While Bollywood and its aging superstars like Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Aamir Khan, and Salman Khan are struggling to deliver mega-hits now another factor that has started haunting the Bollywood producers and distributers is the digital platforms.

Is the power war on?

There has always been a tussle between the film distributor companies regarding who will first clinch the deal to release a movie of a leading superstar. After all, a movie is a money-making business and a superstar star cast did guarantee a high revenue return. Now this war has suddenly transferred to digital platforms that are dictating the releases of Bollywood movies.

There's a problem, rubbed under the carpet. The power war. The release calendar of the Hindi Film Industry has gone for a toss, as the digital platforms are calling the shots on the release date. Are they qualified to understand the market to call the shots? I doubt. But are they…

— Himesh (@HimeshMankad) August 27, 2024

It seems things like the release dates of movies are now being decided by digital platforms. Whether they are qualified to make such decisions or not is not the question anymore. But because now such key decisions are being taken by the OTT platforms, movies like Stree 2, Khel Khel Mein, and Vedaa are releasing at the same time.

All the digital platforms are dictating to the producers that if they want a particular amount of money for their movies released on OTT, they must release it on this particular day or the deal is off. Now in the times when Bollywood producers and distributors are struggling to recover money from most of the recently released movies, it is easier for them to give in to the rule book of the OTT platforms as at least most of the production cost is covered by the money they offer.

However, it also means that the producers and actors who earlier played a crucial role in deciding the release dates of their movies will have to give more preference to the opinions of the digital platform owners.