With Movie Halls Closed for Over a Year in Assam, Are OTT Platforms Really Taking Over?

GUWAHATI: In the latest round of the Standard Operating Protocol (SOPs), the cinema halls and multiplexes in the state of Assam along with the rest of India continues to face a sorry state of affair.

In the new SOP released by the Assam Government, although took several steps to revive the livelihood of many sectors, however, the fate of cinema halls and moviegoers remains to be sealed.

Movie halls have been a great source of entertainment for the general public for the longest time. In India, watching cinema had been imbibed into the Indian culture due to the nation's obsession with Bollywood and South Indian movies. Movie halls also served as a source of recreation for some. Following a long week at work or school, people of all age groups and from all sections of society would turn to movie halls over the weekends to enjoy a brief respite from their tedious routine.

The cinema-watching community comprised a diverse group of people. Some movie buffs would go to watch a movie on the big screen multiple times simply for pleasure's sake. Then there were trend-followers who watched a movie on its first day of release. Some preferred watching movies only on a big screen, some were occasional movie-goers who dropped in once in a while, some who did not want to take the trouble of downloading a movie and preferred the convenience of a movie hall.

The shutting of movie halls last year had caused displeasure to many. With people locked down in their homes not being able to go anywhere, there was almost nowhere to turn to for recreation. Also, the movies whose release they had been eagerly waiting for had been held up.

OTT platforms have been here for a while but initially, they had not gained much popularity in India. Prior to Covid-19, people would still prefer a newly released movie in a movie hall. Web series were mostly aired on OTT platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hotstar, but they were not as popular as Bollywood movies.

With the movie halls shut down, movie-goers had no option but to shift to OTT platforms for recreation. The experience of watching movies or web series from the comfort of their homes gradually began to grow into them. OTT platforms offered great convenience to its viewers. They could control when and where to watch a movie as per their needs. It was also a perfect platform for introverts who did not enjoy being out in a public space. In addition, those who did not have much time in their hands could quickly watch a 2-hour movie during a short break from work, not having to waste time to go out and at the same time save the hassle to book seats. Many others who previously preferred downloading movies legally or illegally also switched to OTT platforms. Instead of looking for a perfect link on torrent and taking the trouble to download a movie, one can just subscribe to an OTT platform and watch a variety of other shows as well.

However, regular movie-goers have expressed that no matter the convenience, they would still miss the experience of watching a movie on the big screen with hundreds of like-minded movie buffs around them who share the same love for movies. Movie halls can still continue to keep its shine provided necessary COVID-19 guidelines and protocols are being followed. Of course, OTT platforms have become a rage now since movie halls are shut down. But the experience of watching an action movie or a superhero movie with its VFX and other great effects on a big screen is unmatched.

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