Ritesh Deshmukh’s question on OTT VS Theater Debate: Movies are not going on, then how is a business of 600-700 crores? Said- cinema will never end

Actor Ritesh Deshmukh is identified by a comic actor. However, he has played a variety of roles in his two decades of career. Recently released Ajay Devgan is seen as Ritesh Villain in the starrer ‘Red-2’. He is also getting a lot of praise for the role of Dada Manohar Bhai in the film. Earlier, he played a negative role in the film ‘Ek Villain’.

In a conversation with Dainik Bhaskar, Ritesh and ‘Red-2’ director Rajkumar Gupta shared his experience on not running Bollywood films and OTT vs theater debates.

Question- Constant questions are being raised on Bollywood. The industry is being accused of not making sheep, expensive tickets, ground stories. It is being said that cinema is ending?

Rajkumar- See, since the cinema has been made, the question of ending cinema has been raising. Whether it is 20, the time of great depression, television or video cassette, this is said every time. As far as ground stories are concerned, there is some truth in it. Writer, director, actor, produce will have to think together as individual and industry. We have to look inside ourselves and see what is the truth. If the questions are being raised, if it is true then there is a need to work on it.

Ritesh- I completely agree Rajkumar ji. But I have a question. The first Hindi dub ‘Bahubali’ of Pandemic was a film that did a business of 500 crores. Before that, no film had earned so much. But there are 5-6 films after Kovid, which have done business of more than 500 crores. The question is that if people are not going theater, then how did this business happen? The answer is that people are going to theater but thinking which films they have to watch. Otherwise, we used to do business of 70-80 or 90 crores or there was also a decline.

‘Pathan’, ‘Jawan’, ‘Gadar’, ‘Stree-2’, ‘Animal’, ‘Pushpa 2’, ‘Chhava’ all these films have earned amazing box office. If you see the genre of all these films, then all the films are of different genres. If someone says that only big stars are able to do this, then I do not agree with him. There are many more actors whose films have earned. This means that if people like the film then they see. The trailer of that film is awakening a curiosity.

All the films I took above have been expensive for all the films. In such a situation, I believe that if the film is good, then people give money. The first requirement is to make a good film. The more difficult it is to make a good film, the more difficult it is to cut a good promo. You make any good film, if the promo bites badly, the film will flop.

Question- At this time, films of big stars are not running. What do both of you think is one of the reasons OTT?

Ritesh- I don’t think so. Things change over time. For example, Dainik Bhaskar was the previous paper. Today has become digital. Everything like this has to be adapted. The same is with films. There are many things that are well monitured on the digital platform. Look at cricket, earlier their TV rights were expensive and digital rights were sold less.

Today, due to the IPL, digital rights are very monetize and less than satellite rights. This does not mean that money is not being made. Money is being made but it is being made elsewhere. Earlier there was only theater for films. Then the satellite came and now there is a digital platform. We should see satellite and digital avenue together.

I think there has been a change after the pandemic. The audience is watching which films they want to sit in their house. If the trailer of a film does not like the audience, then they think when they come, then they will see. In such a situation, it is very important that the trailer of the film is very good. If people do not like the trailer, then no matter how much you promote the film, give interviews, it will not work.

Rajkumar- I agree with Ritesh with the matter of Revenue Stream from the perspective of filmmaker and producer. I grew up watching movies in the theater. I became a filmmaker because of the theater. As a storyteller, a writer-director, I do not think of medium when I write a film.

I think of the same medium because I loved him. I try to release in the theater if I am writing a film. As far as the audience is concerned, I will hope that whatever film is our film, they should see it in the theater first. After that, see it on the rest of the revenue stream.