Mint Primer: Can border fight help settle big vs small screen row?

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What happened to the film Bhool Chuk Maaf?

Maddock Films and Amazon MGM Studios’ Hindi comedy Bhool Chuk Maaf was set to hit the theatres on 9 May and advanced bookings were open. But on 8 May, the producers said they will ditch theatres and directly release the film online on Amazon Prime Video. They cited heightened security due to the border tensions between India and Pakistan and solidarity with the ‘spirit of the nation’. Several other events were also cancelled last week out of solidarity with the country, including an album launch by actor Kamal Haasan and concerts by singers Arijit Singh and Usha Uthup.

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What is PVR-Inox’s complaint?

The multiplex chain moved the Bombay High Court on 9 May against Maddock Films, its founder producer Dinesh Vijan, film distributor Pen Marudhar, and Amazon India among others, alleging breach of contract. PVR-Inox argued that its agreement with the makers of Bhool Chuk Maaf included a clause saying the film must run in theatres for at least eight weeks before it was released online on a subscription-based streaming platform. It also said that the makers could not arbitrarily decide not to release the film in theatres due to border tensions because cinemas were open and functioning normally.

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What is the status of the case?

The court stayed the online release and will hear the case again in June. PVR-Inox has demanded compensation from the film’s makers for loss of shows and the money spent on promoting the film. Damages reportedly amount to nearly ₹60 crore. Before moving the court, PVR-Inox had asked Maddock for compensation. But the company refused to do so.

Why is this case important?

Theatre chains have been faced with low footfall and fewer movie releases as people increasingly switch to OTT platforms. PVR- Inox has been demanding that filmmakers run movies in cinemas for eight weeks before releasing them online. Actor-producer Aamir Khan made a similar plea at the government’s WAVES summit in May saying a very narrow theatrical window was killing films. This case may decide the debate on a mandatory minimum eight-week theatrical window for films released on the big screen.

So why are filmmakers doing this?

Releasing films in theatres is getting expensive as producers are forced to spend more on film promotion. Besides, ticket and food prices for a multiplex outing are much higher than the cost of an annual subscription to an OTT platform. The current consumer slowdown means viewers increasingly find value in watching films at home. Producers, too, say it is easier and more profitable to simply sell their film to an OTT platform without having to worry about marketing budgets and box office collections.