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Expressing concern over the future of movie theatres in the age of digital entertainment, Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan on Friday suggested that films should be released first on big screens and then on online platforms and devices, but cautioned that realistic pricing of tickets and good content were a must to draw people out of their sofas.
“Today, when men and women are toiling in the Indian film industry shoulder to shoulder, we also have several options for viewing content in the comfort of our homes. Yet the thrill of watching movies on the big screen remains unmatched.
We need to find ways to protect these traditions. I like the idea of pictures first showing in cinema halls, and then, perhaps, going to streaming and other devices. I am a loyalist to that degree,” Bachchan said in a video speech at the closing ceremony of the 25th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) here.
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Speaking on the role of cinema in the ever-growing digital space, Big B said that as audiences’ tastes fast move to fresh digital content or online streaming, “it would be most worthwhile to draw attention to the core fact that films are primarily made for entertainment, drawing large audiences to the big screen.”
However, he wondered what the future holds in the realm of movie viewing.
“Will the allure of cinema watched in move halls soon become nostalgic memories? Will studios gobble each other up, and smaller movies struggle to survive and big brand titles tank at the box office,” he asked.
He pointed out that digital platforms like Netflix and Amazon are revolutionizing the way one watches films, while several other streaming services are also now available in India.
“So what happens next? Can classics like ‘Gone with the Wind’ or ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ be watched on the small screen with the same excitement that had originally made them blockbusters? Can the magic of Satyajit Ray’s trilogy or his classic ‘Jalshaghar’ be captured with the same amount of sensitivity on a small laptop or on a mobile phone?