Hyderabad: Traditionally, summer has been a lucrative season for the Telugu film industry, with cinema theatres displaying "house full" boards and new releases, especially from big stars, lining up during the summer vacation.
This trend has been declining over a period of time. The state of cinema this summer has been particularly bleak. There was no new content with good production values for release. Producers were hesitant to release whatever films they had due to the ongoing IPL and the Lok Sabha elections. As a result, around 250 out of 450 single-screen theatres have temporarily shut down. The single-screen theatre owners will remain closed until good movies are released to minimise losses.
According to industry experts, the shift towards pan-India releases of big-budget Telugu movies, which often cost over Rs.100 crore, is to be blamed for the trend. Another major factor is the rise of OTT platforms, to which producers are selling streaming rights within four weeks of their theatrical release.
According to Telugu cinema producer Palli Keshava Rao, "With no restrictions on the release of new movies on OTT platforms, makers are scared. My new movie, 'Seethammadhara Police Station,' is still in production, and I am anxious every day about its release. This is a time when the film chamber should make a decision on the timeframe for OTT releases."
Producer Suresh Kondeti echoed these sentiments, stating, "This summer, the impact of IPL matches was significant, with most viewership occurring during the evenings, leaving theatres empty. Additionally, the elections have mobilised people, who are often provided with payment and food. Given this scenario, producers did not want to risk releasing movies this summer."
