The debate over the ideal gap between theatrical releases and their OTT premieres has sparked differing views from two of Bollywood’s biggest stars. Recently, Aamir Khan advocated for a six-month window to protect cinema halls and encourage theatrical viewing. However, Akshay Kumar has voiced a contrasting opinion, suggesting a shorter gap is more balanced and practical for all parties involved.
Speaking to ABP Live, Akshay emphasized that OTT platforms, which invest heavily in digital rights, deserve a fair share of the benefits. He said,
“According to me, a three-month gap is okay. Six months is too long because at the end of the day, the OTT platform is paying you for the digital rights. They also need to benefit from the deal.”Akshay further urged the industry to return to the pre-pandemic model where theatres and streaming platforms coexisted harmoniously without conflict. He pointed out the irony in producers happily accepting OTT money but then blaming OTT for poor theatrical performance.
“According to me, a three-month gap is okay. Six months is too long because at the end of the day, the OTT platform is paying you for the digital rights. They also need to benefit from the deal.”Akshay further urged the industry to return to the pre-pandemic model where theatres and streaming platforms coexisted harmoniously without conflict. He pointed out the irony in producers happily accepting OTT money but then blaming OTT for poor theatrical performance.
“When it comes to digital rights sale, producers happily take money from the OTT platform. But when we want to, we also conveniently say our films aren’t working because of OTT. We don’t consider that maybe we’re not making the right films,” he remarked.The actor-producer also shared his personal consumption of OTT content, not just for entertainment but to discover talent for his projects.
“I don’t have any other work than making movies. Since I’m not educated, I do only movies. So, I get a lot of time to watch OTT,” he said. Reflecting on his career, Akshay added,
“Thirty percent is hard work, which should feel like you’ve done 100% hard work, but you also need that 70% luck to make it. When I enter a studio, I often see a struggler better looking, a better dancer, and who does better action than me, but he hasn’t gotten a chance yet.”Akshay’s comments come amid Aamir Khan’s continued advocacy for a longer theatrical window.
Aamir, who has criticized the shrinking gap for impacting cinema attendance, recently reiterated his stance after witnessing the success of Laapataa Ladies on Netflix despite its poor theatrical run. Currently, most films follow an eight-week window between theatrical and digital releases, making this debate highly relevant for the future of Bollywood’s distribution strategies.
