With the pandemic and success of OTT, can India's 9,500-plus cinema halls still survive?
Like every second person growing up in India of the 1980s and 90s, Gulshan Devaiah saw movies in theatres—where they are supposed to belong. Best known for Netflix's Ghost Stories, Hunterrr and Shaitan, Devaiah remembers witnessing the Rajinikanth mania in his hometown of Bengaluru and occasionally in Chennai. The cacophony, coin-throwing and dancing in the aisle was part of the fun, Devaiah vows."I also saw Hum on the big screen. There was mayhem when Amitabh Bachchan broke into 'Jumma Chumma'. It was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life," the actor says. Cinema-going is a communal activity in India. "Theatres make movies magical," he goes on. "You are sitting with 400 people in the darkened room, laughing and crying and sharing a private moment with complete strangers."Over-the-top (OTT) platforms may have lured millions of viewers into its orbit in the recent past, but for old-fashioned buffs like Devaiah, cinema halls will always be the real thing. He gushes, "It's like watching a cricket match live at home versus a cricket match live at the stadium. There's a certain atmosphere and energy that's missing with in-home viewing."