All in the race for eyeballs

Sooryavanshi will hit theatres on Diwali

As soon as the Maharashtra government announced the reopening of theatres from October 22, countless Hindi films lined up for their turn on the big screen. Simultaneously, Amazon Prime Video and ZEE5 are gearing up for the digital premiere of two promising films ­­ - Sardar Udham featuring Vicky Kaushal and Rashmi Rocket with Taapsee Pannu in the lead, respectively. At a time when all eyes are on the big-ticket theatrical outings, the two web platforms may have to launch an aggressive promotional campaign to ensure that their offerings are not lost in the noise.

Manish Kalra, chief business officer, ZEE5, says the streamer has a strong audience base, thanks to its diverse library. "For our latest title Helmet, we planned the #HelmetOn [campaign], [a series of] above- and below-the-line promotional activities covering social media, television, and out-of-home space," he says.

It is not lost on the team at Amazon Prime India that the theatre-versus-OTT competition will, in the true sense, play out in the coming months. An insider says, "To generate buzz around Sardar Udham, the team is planning a massive event in the city, where they will recreate London. Going ahead, more films will resort to on-ground activities, besides chasing digital tie-ups and creating social media trends to ensure that their movies are a talking point."

Shailesh Kapoor, CEO of media research firm Ormax, predicts that the small direct-to-web films will probably lose out in this race for eyeballs. "Shershaah broke out [online] in a big way in its second and third week. The upcoming theatrical releases won't enjoy this luxury since there will be a new release every week. [Despite the disadvantage], films like Sooryavanshi and 83 will fare well because of their all-star cast. The pressure will be more on smaller films, lacking in star power, that are taking the OTT route."

However, Varun Gupta of Max Marketing - that recently handled the promotions for Bhoot Police - states that theatrical outings have a tougher road ahead. "Every Friday has a big offering, right up till mid-2022. A cinema-going family can afford one major film [per month], so each movie has to fight for attention. [In contrast], an OTT outing targets more subscriptions. [With each film], they are luring people to the platform, not to the product."

Also read: Vicky Kaushal's 'Sardar Udham' to premiere on OTT on October 16; watch teaser