New movies are increasingly being beamed to homes not long after their release, thanks to Direct To Home (DTH) television or channels buying the screening rights early. While many members of the film fraternity support the trend, saying that films nowadays don't have a long shelf life, there are some who don't.
The latest to hit the small screen is Katrina Kaif and Ranbir Kapoor-starrer 'Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani' -- it will be shown on Colors channel as their yearender whammy.
"The satellite premiere of 'Ajab...' is happening in December end, which is two months after its theatrical release. The theatrical business nowadays is for four weeks, however successful the film," Ramesh Taurani, producer of "Ajab...", told us.
Other films that have hit small screens soon after their release are 'Blue', 'Slumdog Millionnaire', 'Kaminey' and 'What's Your Raashee?'. This new trend has evoked mixed response from filmmakers.
Said Sajid Khan: "It's definitely healthier than downloading the film on the first day of release free of cost on the Internet."
Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, known for introducing new trends in the filmmaking, said: "Change is inevitable. Bend like a bamboo and you'll survive. Resist like an unyielding oak and you'll perish."
Pritish Nandy too doesn't think airing an almost new film on TV is such a bad idea.
"If distributors are okay with it, no harm done. The market defines its own compulsions and if different segments are in sync with each other, I guess it is fine," Nandy said.
"The theatrical window is in any case shrinking by the Friday as more and more films are crowding theatres. Theatres should be happy to see movies move out to give room to new ones. That's the nature of the business today," he added.
David Dhawan echoed Nandy's view and said: "Tell me, which film lasts in theatres beyond two months?"
Producer-director Harry Baweja, reeling under the losses suffered by son Hurman's debut 'Love Story 2050', too welcomes this new concept.
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