INOX slams a production house’s decision for bypassing theatrical release

The emergence of OTT (over the top) platforms in this troubled time has bashed the survival of theatre chain of late. INOX on Thursday expressed its “extreme discontent and disappointment over the announcement of “Gulabo Sitabo” producers to release the film on a streaming platform by skipping the conventional theatrical window release.

The movie bankrolled by Rising sun films is a Shoojit Sircar’s directorial starring Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana, which will debut on Amazon Prime Video on June 12th.

Without naming the production house or the film directly, the theatre chain stated such a move as disconcerting on Twitter. “The decision of the production house to deviate from the globally prevalent content windowing practice is alarming and disconcerting,” the statement read.

The multiplex chain said it will now be “constrained to examine” its options, and reserves all rights, including taking retributive measures, in “dealing with such fair-weather friends. INOX would like to urge all content creators not to skip the theatrical run, and stay with the age old and established windowing pattern, which is in the best interests of all stakeholders in the value chain,” the statement further concluded.

After Sun rise films announced to release their film Gulabo Sitabo on OTT platform, the makers of Vidya Balan-starrer Shakuntala Devi too announced a likely direct release on streaming service platform. Latest buzz from a little birdie also reveals that makers of Laxmmi Bomb, Ludo, Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl and Khali Peeli are expressing interest in direct release on digital platforms.