This Diwali, audiences skip cinemas as microdramas, streamers, and gamers take the spotlight
Diwali remains one of the biggest weekends for Hindi film releases, but theatre audiences showed little interest in Hindi movies this festive season.
Mumbai: On Diwali in 2007, Shahrukh Khan’s Om Shanti Om and Saawariya, featuring debutants Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor, were vying for millions of Indian to watch their movie in cinema halls.
While Saawariya failed to woo the audience, cinema halls were packed with people who couldn’t get enough of Om Shanti Om. The Farah Khan-directorial went on to be a blockbuster earning ₹149.87 crore worldwide, according to Box Office India, and catapulting newcomer Deepika Padukone into Bollywood stardom.
Diwali continues to be a big holiday weekend for filmmakers, movie studios, and exhibitors in India’s Hindi-speaking territories. But audiences appeared disinterested in going to a theatre to watch a Hindi movie this festive holiday season.
This is partially due to the option of watching movies on streaming platforms later and partially due to movies not seeming interesting enough, according to half a dozen people Mint spoke with.
“If some film is being recommended by someone then I might go to theatres. Otherwise, there are friends with whom I’d like to spend time with," said 26-year-old Christina Rajesh, who is otherwise a Bollywood fan.
Maddock Films’ Thamma, featuring Rashmika Mandanna and Ayushmann Khurrana, is the only big Hindi film exhibitors are hoping would attract audiences this Diwali.
“If the film generates good word-of-mouth, then we can expect good footfalls," said Ashish Pandey, head-content programming and strategic initiatives, Cineline India Ltd, which runs multiplex chain Moviemax.
Alternatives emerge
As Bollywood loses its sheen with fewer box office hits and a shrinking content pipeline, microdrama platforms are hoping to cash in on this festive season’s demand for entertainment.
Kuku FM and Pocket FM are rolling out Diwali specials, including mythological dramas themed around the Ramayana. EloElo, which owns and operates a microdrama app called Story TV, expects to woo viewers with Diwali-themed shows and a content pipeline across thriller, family and other genres.
“Diwali is a big season for the media and entertainment industries. Hence, we are also gearing up to launch a whole slate of microdramas," said Saurabh Pandey, founder and chief executive officer of Story TV. “We want to enable fresh new shows and content for users to watch this holiday season."
Larger video-streaming platforms are attempting new forms of storytelling focused on festivities and faith.
JioHotstar is streamingMahabharat: Ek Dharmayudh, a premium web-series made using artificial intelligence and produced by JioStar and entertainment services firm Collective Artists’ Network. Netflix has released Greater Kalesh, a comedy-drama set in the backdrop of Diwali.
“Audiences usually turn inward for festive entertainment," Ayushi Garg, principal, Three One Four Capital, a Bengaluru-based venture investment firm, told Mint over a call. “During the festive season, especially Diwali, families spend more time at home. Mobile usage ends up peaking, which naturally shoots up digital consumption."
Gaming channels on YouTube are also attempting to grab attention on a Diwali plank, livestreaming ‘Diwali special’ competitions such as Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) and Free Fire Max.
YouTube channel Desi Army, which has more than 4.6 million subscribers, ran a nearly 3-hour Diwali-special livestream last week featuring Free Fire Max; the stream cumulatively had over 119,000 views.
GSG Esports, which has about 123,000 subscribers, is running a ‘Diwali Mania’ BGMI tournament with daily livestreams garnering 330,000–370,000 views each.
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