Divergent OTT release windows cause tensions between filmmakers and cinemas

The gap between a film’s theatrical release and OTT premiere was usually 8 weeks in India, before covid-19 pandemic struck in 2020 , when movies began to be released on streaming platforms first as cinemas remained shuttered for months.

Exhibitors had expected the old equilibrium to return once the pandemic ended, but that has not happened uniformly across Indian language films, with many filmmakers opting for a shorter than 8-week OTT release window, potentially hurting the revenue of multiplexes.