we've turned filmmaking into fast food and the audience has lost taste
Lately, I've been feeling this quiet disappointment every time I open an OTT platform or see a movie trailer blow up on Instagram.
Indian big-budget films today feel like they're stuck following a playbook.
Step 1: Generate hype. Flood our feeds with Instagram trends, actor interviews, teaser drops, and behind-the-scenes laughs. We're nudged into believing something big is coming.
Step 2: Drop the music. It's just fine. Sometimes catchy. Mostly forgettable. But that doesn't matter — it's part of the routine.
Step 3: Release the movie in theatres. People show up. Not for the craft, but for FOMO.
Step 4: The film quietly transitions to an OTT platform, where the next set of audience engages.
Step 5: Since the cost is now effectively zero, enough people watch it on the OTT. A click. A background activity. Something to scroll through while scrolling something else.
Growing up, I remember watching interviews of filmmakers who spoke like craftsmen. Who said things like, "We owe the audience something for their time."
Time was sacred.
Maybe it's time to ask the obvious question: what if we reimagined how movies are made and distributed? maybe treat the audience's time and attention as the most valuable resource?