It has all the markings of a ferocious battle, off screen. A fight to protect traditional bastions from smart calculations to make a fast buck, or a revolution whose time has come, depending on which way you look at it.
Well, ever since actor and producer Kamal Hassan announced his decision to release his big budget film Vishwaroopam through the Direct-To-Home (DTH) platform a few hours before it hits theatre screens, a storm of controversy has been building up. With the DTH release, effectively, by shelling out Rs 1,000, you get to watch the film in Tamil at 9.30 pm on the day before it hits theatre screens, right in your home; the Hindi version, however, is priced at just Rs 500.
Now, a big chunk of theatre exhibitors are up in arms against the move, forcing Hassan to postpone the release.
Kamal claims that the DTH release will not have an adverse effect on theatre collections. "People who want to truly experience the film will come to the theatre," he says.
Vishwaroopam has used RO sound technology and other new technology that can be experienced only in the theatre, apparently. But, are people ready to head out to a theatre to watch a new film that can be comfortably watched at home a few hours earlier? Obviously, it would have an impact on collections at the theatre.
Paradigm shift
A minuscule section of theatre owners are game to the challenge, and are going ahead with the release of Vishwaroopam in their theatres. "When satellite TV entered the picture, people said that it would bring about the end of theatres. But nothing like that happened," mentions Thiruppur Subramanian, president, Theatre Owners Association. But predictably, a majority of theatre owners have decided to boycott the film, fearing it would eat into box-office collections.
On the other hand, DTH operators see such a move as a momentous step ahead in home entertainment. That is not surprising, as they stand to gain a new market. "In a sense, it defines the concept of digitisation," says Sonal Gupta, Videocon. "I would call it a stroke of genius. It is a new revenue stream for films," says R S Vijaya Kumar, Dy Vice President, Dish TV. Meanwhile, Kattaragadda Prasad, Film Chamber of Commerce, South India refers to it as an innovative initiative.
"When digital cinema came in, did people oppose it saying that film labs would be shut down? We have to think of this move objectively. DTH is an opportunity to tap a new revenue source," he says.
But, why launch the film on DTH ahead of its theatre release? "It might be a smart way to recover money from the small screen in a single day, riding on the aura associated with seeing the film before its theatre release; never mind if the film doesn't turn out to be a crowd-puller over the following days," points out veteran film critic C Nagaraj.
And judging by the hype this controversial move has created around the film, the DTH release might just be a promotional gimmick in these days when a good release ensures that half the money is recovered on the opening day itself.
Kamal also shrugs off the fear that the DTH platform would lend itself to video piracy. "Pirated recordings are being done in theatres anyway, and DTH has more features built in to check piracy than do theatres. I don't claim that this move will definitely do away with video piracy. It could. But claiming that the DTH release would invite video piracy is ridiculous," he says.
"We have to be ready to appropriate technology as it comes up. I have invested Rs 95 crore on this film. It is my money that is at stake. I am not asking distributors to take any risk. I'm ready to wager. I'm not afraid."
The DTH move is an interesting development. Certainly, it augurs well for DTH operators who will gain a new revenue platform, as will Kamal Hassan, the producer. As for theatre collections, there is the possibility of a dip in revenue, and it remains to be seen whether they will survive the DTH wave. But regardless of how things play out, this move happens to be a business tactic that a producer has every right to make.
Theatre owners can't claim monopoly over film revenue. When new choices become possible, some old choices do become obsolete; but that is how business works, and cinema is show business.
Well, ever since actor and producer Kamal Hassan announced his decision to release his big budget film Vishwaroopam through the Direct-To-Home (DTH) platform a few hours before it hits theatre screens, a storm of controversy has been building up. With the DTH release, effectively, by shelling out Rs 1,000, you get to watch the film in Tamil at 9.30 pm on the day before it hits theatre screens, right in your home; the Hindi version, however, is priced at just Rs 500.
Now, a big chunk of theatre exhibitors are up in arms against the move, forcing Hassan to postpone the release.
Kamal claims that the DTH release will not have an adverse effect on theatre collections. "People who want to truly experience the film will come to the theatre," he says.
Vishwaroopam has used RO sound technology and other new technology that can be experienced only in the theatre, apparently. But, are people ready to head out to a theatre to watch a new film that can be comfortably watched at home a few hours earlier? Obviously, it would have an impact on collections at the theatre.
Paradigm shift
A minuscule section of theatre owners are game to the challenge, and are going ahead with the release of Vishwaroopam in their theatres. "When satellite TV entered the picture, people said that it would bring about the end of theatres. But nothing like that happened," mentions Thiruppur Subramanian, president, Theatre Owners Association. But predictably, a majority of theatre owners have decided to boycott the film, fearing it would eat into box-office collections.
On the other hand, DTH operators see such a move as a momentous step ahead in home entertainment. That is not surprising, as they stand to gain a new market. "In a sense, it defines the concept of digitisation," says Sonal Gupta, Videocon. "I would call it a stroke of genius. It is a new revenue stream for films," says R S Vijaya Kumar, Dy Vice President, Dish TV. Meanwhile, Kattaragadda Prasad, Film Chamber of Commerce, South India refers to it as an innovative initiative.
"When digital cinema came in, did people oppose it saying that film labs would be shut down? We have to think of this move objectively. DTH is an opportunity to tap a new revenue source," he says.
But, why launch the film on DTH ahead of its theatre release? "It might be a smart way to recover money from the small screen in a single day, riding on the aura associated with seeing the film before its theatre release; never mind if the film doesn't turn out to be a crowd-puller over the following days," points out veteran film critic C Nagaraj.
And judging by the hype this controversial move has created around the film, the DTH release might just be a promotional gimmick in these days when a good release ensures that half the money is recovered on the opening day itself.
Kamal also shrugs off the fear that the DTH platform would lend itself to video piracy. "Pirated recordings are being done in theatres anyway, and DTH has more features built in to check piracy than do theatres. I don't claim that this move will definitely do away with video piracy. It could. But claiming that the DTH release would invite video piracy is ridiculous," he says.
"We have to be ready to appropriate technology as it comes up. I have invested Rs 95 crore on this film. It is my money that is at stake. I am not asking distributors to take any risk. I'm ready to wager. I'm not afraid."
The DTH move is an interesting development. Certainly, it augurs well for DTH operators who will gain a new revenue platform, as will Kamal Hassan, the producer. As for theatre collections, there is the possibility of a dip in revenue, and it remains to be seen whether they will survive the DTH wave. But regardless of how things play out, this move happens to be a business tactic that a producer has every right to make.
Theatre owners can't claim monopoly over film revenue. When new choices become possible, some old choices do become obsolete; but that is how business works, and cinema is show business.