KOCHI: Call it the OTT effect or not, film theatres in Kerala are either shutting down or are on the brink of closure after incurring huge debt. At last count, the number of movie theatres in Kerala has come down to 600 from 1,280 ten years ago.
Theatres are struggling as audiences are hesitant to leave the comfort of their homes and would rather watch the movie on OTT platforms, which cost only a fraction of what they have to shell out at cinema halls. With over half of the cinema halls shut in the last ten years, theatre owners are concerned about the future.
“More and more people are sticking to watching movies via OTT platforms. Most films make their way to digital streaming services within 15-20 days of release. This has crippled the industry and is the primary reason for theatres shutting down,” said M Vijayakumar, the president of the Film Exhibitors United Organisation of Kerala (FEOUK).
However, Liberty Basheer, a leading film producer and advisory board member of the Kerala Film Exhibitors Federation (KFEF), holds a different view. According to him, OTT platforms alone cannot be blamed for the current crisis. “OTT became popular only after Covid in 2019. Theatres were closing even before that. There were more than 1,200 theatres in the state. Later, many small theatres with fewer facilities, especially in the rural areas, closed down,” Basheer said. He also pointed out that streaming platforms usually only bought movies that performed successfully in theatres. “During Covid, we released movies via OTT platforms. But now, these platforms only bag those movies that are deemed hits,” he added. Romancham and Thuramukham are great examples.
Siyad Koker, the founder of Kokers Films, opined that theatres are closing down because Malayalees are no longer passionate about movies. “Earlier, people used to watch almost every movie as soon as it hit the giant screens. But now, they have grown very selective,” Koker said. He added that even more theatres would shut down if the trend continued.
A growing affinity to OTT platforms among filmmakers is also a noted trend. According to Vijayakumar, even renowned directors and big producers are embracing these platforms, making movies exclusively for them. “This is detrimental to the whole industry as only good quality movies can attract people to theatres in large numbers,” he said.
“There is a dearth of good, commercially-successful movies in the industry,” he added. The expectation of what makes up a theatre has also grown manifold over the years. According to Liberty Basheer, there are only ‘A-class’ theatres in Kerala now. “Earlier, there were three categories. Now, there are only A-class theatres and a clutch of B-class cinema halls. “Kerala has the highest number of renovated theatres in Kerala. Also, we use the most modern technology. Yet, there is no revenue. Many theatres are facing closure due to the financial crisis and the irregular repayment of the loan,” Vijayakumar said.
According to him, there are at least three theatres facing bank attachment notices following failure to repay loans. Now, with watching movies on OTT platforms becoming the norm, it remains to be seen how theatres will cope.