See You At The Movies

About two decades back, the thought of watching a movie in a theatre would bring great excitement to our minds. We would arrive outside cinema halls at least two hours before the show to stand in serpentine queues to buy tickets. There was always a fear that the ticket counter would soon get closed with a board stating “house full”. To our rescue were a group of bootleggers whom one would turn to when the chances were all bleak.

Over the years, movie theatres have been facing business threats starting from satellite television to OTT (Over The Top) platforms. During the surge of cable television in the late 90s in India, the newly
released movies were shown in pirated form by the cable guy. The concept of ‘No Piracy’ was not considered sacrosanct then and now with mobile phones, it is even easier for youngsters to watch leaked movies online the very next day of a movie release. So, the craze for watching a movie in a theatre has been gradually vanishing.

We have satellite television with thousands of channels showcasing various subjects and languages. New movies are screened on television just in about 2 months of their release in theatres.
The digital space is occupied with OTT platforms which churn out new web series every week. A viewer has a plethora of options and one can choose to entertain themselves the way they want to.

There is a surge in the number of business houses eyeing to tap the ‘binge-watching’ audience who wish to watch films and tv series in the comfort of their homes. In OTT platforms, movies are being telecasted within weeks of the movie release in theatres. So if one waits for a few weeks one can watch it at a much lower price than a cinema ticket.
So, while the digital space is expanding, the number of cinema screens are diminishing and not growing.
With a 1.3 billion population, we only have 30-35% of the population having access to a film theatre.
Tier II - tier IV cities do not have access to theatres.
Business houses do not find investment in new cinema halls a viable option. The initial cost is high and the return on the total investment may take several years. To add to the dismay, many of the vintage single screen theatres have closed down in the past and the age of multiplexes have set in.

The outcome of digital content development is that the viewers today are far more educated in terms of the kind of content they would endorse. After being exposed to a plethora of original series of American or British origin, they want sensible content.
Due to such transition, the filmmakers are conscious about the tastes of a target audience and they strive to present new stories and explore new genres to attract audiences to theatres.
So, does a realistic cinema or a content-driven movie a sure shot recipe for attracting people to theatres? Well! No one can really tell.
People would go to a cinema hall because one needs to go out on a weekend or one is excited to watch a movie based on the reviews or one goes to watch because his or her favourite star is in the movie.
A recent example is the February release Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga on the same-sex relationship. While it was critically acclaimed especially for bringing such a taboo subject into mainstream cinema and the movie’s screenplay went into Oscar’s library, it bombed at the box office.
So, at the end of the day, the question is how much of the percentage of the population is actually willing and convinced to spend their time and money into this affair? If a person decides to watch a movie, then he or she is dedicated to it one hundred per cent for two and a half to three hours. If it does not meet their choices the only option is to leave the movie hall and head home. In digital space, you have the choice to change, flip, fast forward at your fingertips which in a way keeps one distracted in my opinion.

No matter what the trend is, the grandeur of a movie theatre and the whole experience of watching it on a giant screen with thunderous sound, uninterrupted is something which can never be matched with a home television or a home theatre (whatever you may call). Also, movies which are made for three-dimensional experiences deserve to be seen on a big screen.

Yes, one may not run to a theatre for every movie but it would be worthwhile to watch a good movie in the company of your near and dear ones occasionally. The taste of popcorn and cola are par excellence and are like the icing on a cake to a movie experience. You would agree that many of the movies we watch with a certain company of friends and family, psychologically enhance our movie experience. Think of the movies for which you laughed, cried, clapped, whistled along with other viewers in the theatre. It is a great stress buster and an enigmatic house of entertainment.
Let us keep the age of cinema halls alive. It’s completely worth it!