Viewership for films that turn big hits at the box office often doesn’t end with their theatrical run. Appetite for repeat consumption on streaming platforms remains strong — even among those who have already watched the film in cinemas.
According to media consulting firm Ormax, 65% of Dhurandhar’s audience on OTT had already watched the film in a theatre, pointing to a high correlation between theatrical and streaming performance of big-ticket Indian films.
Industry experts say this could accelerate the trend of OTT platforms spending big bucks only to acquire major commercial hits, leaving small and mid-budget titles out in the cold.
The overlap effect
According to Ormax, while 21.2 million people watched Dhurandhar only in theatres, about 7.5 million watched it only on OTT. However, there is a significant overlap — with 14 million viewers watching it both in theatres and on streaming.
“For theatrical films that are high on likeability, the appetite for repeat consumption on streaming, after having watched the film already in theatres just a few weeks ago, is very high. This explains why there is very high correlation between theatrical and streaming performance of several big-ticket Indian films, especially the ones that manage to get audience approval,” Ormax said in a blog.
Films like Laapata Ladies and Haq are rare exceptions — high-likeability films that didn't perform too well theatrically, but went on to do very well on streaming, it added.
Complementary platforms
The Ormax findings reflect a clear shift — audiences are no longer choosing between theatrical and OTT; they are engaging with both in complementary ways, said Bhuvanesh Mendiratta, managing director, Miraj Entertainment Ltd.
“However, the theatrical experience remains the primary driver. It delivers scale, immersion, and the collective energy that defines how a film is first discovered and experienced. OTT, in many ways, builds on that foundation by offering convenience and the ability to revisit. For films with high likability, repeat viewing becomes a natural extension — audiences return to key moments, watch with family, or pick up nuances they may have missed earlier,” Mendiratta added.
To be sure, this trend is more visible with big-ticket films that perform strongly in theatres. A successful theatrical run builds recall, scale, and emotional connection, which then translates into higher engagement on OTT.
In the past, hits like RRR and Jawan have also found significant draw on streaming, explaining why such films become valuable for platforms. The theatrical success acts as validation of content and audience interest. While strong storytelling can drive repeat viewing at any scale, films that create impact in cinemas tend to carry that momentum much more effectively into the OTT cycle.
“The theatrical experience and the home viewing experience serve different purposes. In a theatre, you are watching for impact, for the collective experience, for the scale of sound and screen. At home, the same viewer might revisit a film for details they missed, or simply because they enjoyed it enough to want it again in a different setting,” said Ashish Misra, head of commercialization, Cinepolis India.
What the Ormax data reinforces, Misra added, is that theatrical viewing and streaming viewing are not substitutes. They are complementary consumption occasions. High likeability drives repeat consumption regardless of platform.
Smaller films squeezed
That said, experts like Misra point to challenges for smaller films as such trends gain ground. In 2025, over 1,200 films were released theatrically in India, but only about 600 of those made it to OTT. Roughly half the films that go through the effort of a theatrical release do not find a second life on streaming.
For smaller films, the challenge is twofold. First, they struggle to cut through the noise in their opening week without the marketing machinery of a tentpole. Second, if they do not perform at the box office, their chances of being picked up by a streaming platform reduce significantly.
“Smaller films often face discoverability challenges, both in theatres and on streaming. The key for them is differentiation, whether through storytelling, niche audiences, or critical acclaim. Platforms are increasingly curating content better, which should help such films find their audience over time,” said Abishek S Vyas, founder and CEO, AVS, a Dubai and Mumbai-based arts and entertainment company operating across film production, art licensing, audio media, and content-driven intellectual property.