It is high time we looked into new systems of release: Debasish Sen Sharma

The announcement of the

release

of the film

Gulabo

Sitabo (starring

Ayushmann Khurana

and Amitabh Bachchan) on an

OTT

platform and skipping a theatrical release has become a big statement in the Indian film distribution system.

Debasish Sen Sharma, director of Bicycle Kick and Aranyadeb, reacted to this on social media after the announcement. “The news of Bollywood movies confirming an OTT release has led to ‘extreme displeasure and disappointment’ for multiplex chain as they are fearing a loss of their business. This incident gave me to a flashback to three years ago when the Bengali film Aranyadeb, starring

Jisshu U Sengupta

, which was meant and made for theatrical release, failed to confront the multiplex hegemony and was released in an OTT platform. This same ‘disappointed’ multiplex never think of the small/first-time producers. They can almost threaten the directors and producers to take down their films if it does not do business in the first four days of release. As a predecessor to Gulabo Sitabo, my film

Aranyadeb

showed the path to this alternative distribution system three years back. And it is high time we looked into these new systems of release to support the producers,” said Debasish.