According to a trade guru, the day Akshay Kumar agreed to allow Laxmmi Bomb to be released on a digital platform was the deathknell of the movie-theatre business.Angry exhibitors had expressed their feelings about this “betrayal” . And Akshay Kumar did have second thoughts. Finally by saying yes to the OTT temptation he made way for other A-listers to also say yes.
Two other A-listers Ajay Devgan and Sanjay Dutt have also succumbed to the get-rich-quick route for a film release. After Akshay Kumar’s Laxmmi Bomb it is Ajay Devgan in Bhuj and Sanjay Dutt in Torbaaz that audiences will get to see on their computers and mobile phones.
For now the Khan superstars are holding out. Salman Khan has refused to release Radhe: India’s Most Wanted Cop on the digital platform. But for how long can he and the other Khans Aamir and Shah Rukh, hold out?
The theatre exhibition business seems doomed to suffer more crippling financial blows , at least for some time to come. They need an Akshay or Salman to bring audiences back to the theatres.And if these crowdpullers decide to take the OTT route, then what happens to the movie theatres?
