LIFESYLE - INDIAN film-makers are looking forward to returning to work and are hopeful the industry will flourish once again.
This is according to Mala Lutchmanan and Shalandra Bunseelal, film critics who also promote Kollywood and Bollywood movies, respectively.
And for those of you who cannot hold out any longer, the good news is that some film-makers have already released movies on stream sites.
“Cinema enjoys a similar status as that of politics and cricket in India,” said Lutchmanan.
“Indian cinema is one of the biggest industries in the sub-continent and it provides a livelihood to tens of thousands of people, including the technical crew who are all suffering at the moment with no income. So the industry is not only an entertainment platform. It’s far deeper than that. It’s an industry that just cannot be dismissed.”
She said some of the Kollywood movies that were scheduled for release on the big screen like Vijay’s Master and Suriya’s Soorarai Pootru, were rescheduled for release on the big screen after the lockdown.
Lutchmanan said in South Africa, Kollywood fans were also waiting to watch a new release.
“Nothing compares to the thrill of watching a movie on the big screen with friends and family.”
Bunseelal said there was a lot of uncertainty in Bollywood at the moment.
“There have been delays. There have been numerous reviews of projects and there have been projects where budgets have been slashed drastically.
“Major award shows have also been put on hold. While some film-makers are keen to only release their products on the big screen, they have been clear that it must be a universal opening because chunks of the costs are recovered from international markets.
“Some producers have also taken the decision to release their movies on digital platforms instead of delaying the releases. The first on this list is Akshay Kumar’s eagerly awaited Laxmmi Bomb and I am sure others will follow. Last week news broke that Gulabo Sitabo, a big release with Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khuranna, is also being released on digital platforms across different platforms.
“There have been huge losses to the industry overall and the future of the industry remains to be seen. Film-makers and the industry are, however, positive that there should be a turn in the next six to eight months.”
He said one of the big releases that was postponed this month was the Rohit Shetty venture Sooryavanshi with Kumar and Katrina Kaif. There is no release date as yet.
“The latest news from Bollywood is that two other eagerly awaited releases - Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl starring Janhvi Kapoor and Khaali Peeli with Ananya Panday - will release on digital platforms. There was also talk that the lead team of the Karan Johar’s Brahmastra have taken a pay cut and have been offered profit shares in the film.”
Bunseelall added that there was also talk of re-releasing movies like Baaghi 3 and Angrezi Medium because their run at the BoxOffice was interrupted by the pandemic.
“We miss this magical world of cinema. It has, however, been a great time to catch up on classics and re-runs. I think besides the movies, we also miss the new Bollywood music that we have been starved for. I know Bollywood fans can’t wait to be back enjoying this blockbuster world we love so much.”