The Multiplex Association of India has requested producers, studio partners, and content creators to not release their films directly on OTT and asked them to wait until the country return back to normalcy from the ongoing COVID19 pandemic.
They have said that even in foreign countries, a similar strategy is being followed. The association is confident that after films started hitting the screens, people will start coming back to theaters.
‘MAI would like to urge all studio partners, producers, artistes, and Content creators to support the cinema exhibition sector, a vital part of the value chain, by holding and releasing their films in the theatres, Once they open again. To this end, we urge all studios, producers, artistes and other content creators, to kindly respect the exclusive theatrical window, which has been a time-tested industry practice, agreed to by all stake-holders, not just in India, but even globally, for several decades. When this crisis passes, the combination of the pent-up demand and the promise Of new movies, we are sure, would boost film business and contribute massively in reviving Our Industry. The collective, social experience of watching films on the big screen needs to be preserved and it Can be done so only with the collective support of all stakeholders. We are also thankful to the studios, directors, producers and everyone involved in the Indian film industry who have shown their faith in cinema exhibition by coming out and voicing their support, over the past weeks’, read the statement.