The producer, who was speaking at the CII Big Picture Summit, threw light on the role of cinema and OTT platforms in the new normal.
Our Correspondent
Producer Siddharth Roy Kapur has insisted that the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown have only underlined the importance and the role of cinema. Speaking at the ninth Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) Summit, Kapur said, "The modes of entertainment might change from time to time, but people need their dosage of entertainment to take their minds off day-to-day drudgery."
The producer was speaking at the event 'Big To Bigger — Creativity, Technology, and Innovation — Reshaping Consumer Experience'. Kapur said that while the nature of entertainment and its means have changed, the need to be entertained has not. "This year has showcased that no matter what happens, one of the basic needs of human beings is to be entertained, especially when times are tough and they are being asked to make sacrifices," Kapur said.
He added, "Even though the modes of distribution keep on changing depending on what happens in society, this need will exist. As known to all, TV and OTT platforms have seen a massive jump due to our not being able to go to cinema halls or recreational places. The fact remains that even if the modes of entertainment are shifted, the need for entertainment never goes away."
Acknowledging that single-screen theatres have been a part of the cinema experience, Kapur said that audiences are now demanding convenience. He said, "We have all experienced first hand how much destruction a pandemic can cause to lives, livelihoods and our favourite modes of entertainment. We, as an industry, need to realise that we need every form of distribution to share our content with audiences. From an audiences' point of view, they want the ability to watch what they want, when they want it and via the mode that they want to watch on."
Kapur added that the industry needs to come together in order to help single-screen theatres that are facing an existential threat.
"Thousands of single screens had to be shut down over the last few months. We need to figure out whether there are ways in which we can support single screens [enabling them] to either re-open or continue their business. They can be allowed to access loans at easier rates as they need easy access to capital...I think these points should be taken into consideration or the singles screens will, unfortunately, shut down which might lead to us losing a massive heritage as far as our cinemas are concerned," he said.
Having paved a path for fresh talent by backing content-driven projects, Kapur has impressed audiences with his knack for picking out winning scripts. The president of the Producers Guild of India, he aims to continue to retain the essence of entertainment while adapting to the changing times and encouraging others to do the same.
