Not OTTs, Drive-in Theatres Will Be Future Of Cinema In Post-COVID era

Coronavirus has turned our entire life upside down. From confining us to our homes to teaching us how to be self-reliant, our lives changed 360 degrees. While every sector is struggling to survive, trying to come back to business, the film sector has been hit the most.

Several movies which were lined up for release in summer have been held back as theatres have been shut for over three months now. Many producers unable to imagine the losses they could incur due to the uncertainty over theatres are opting for OTT releases.

While distributors and theatre owners are up in arms against producers for going for straight digital release, filmmakers have their own reasons and contend that they can't afford to wait any longer in such circumstances and incur losses. They would rather gain something after investing huge amounts of money than wait.

While several actors have maintained that this OTT model works for small budget and medium budget movies, even producers are big ticket movies are now going in for digital release as there's no clarity on the reopening of theatres anytime soon.

In a scenario where social distancing is the norm and minimum interaction is the rule, multiplexes could soon be a thing of the past. Drive-in theatres could soon become a reality.

Imagine an ideal situation where moviebuffs don't have to even step out of their cars.

All they have to do is sit in the comfort of their cars and watch a movie without having any contact with outsiders or the masses that throng theatres to watch movies. A few popular old movies are being played in these drive-in theatres, we hear.

In fact, a couple of drive-in theatres have already mushroomed in Bengaluru.

However, this has angered theatre owners and distributors who are objecting to screening of movies and are miffed with the government over allowing these drive-in theatres to function while they are not being allowed to screen movies.

As per a report, exhibitors have also written to Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa expressing their concerns. It now remains to be seen how the government would respond to this problem.

In any case, drive-in theatres will likely be the new norm in the post-COVID era where minimum contact with strangers will become the order of the day.