We spoiled the audience, says Dil Raju

The well known film producer, Dil Raju, who is always vocal about the latest trends in the industry, recently made an interesting remark during the trailer launch of the small film Revu. Through his speech at the event, Dil Raju echoed concerns among filmmakers about revenues in cinema due to penetration of digital platforms for movie streaming.At the said event, Dil Raju stated that over time, the film industry has trained its audiences to expect these movies on OTT platforms within a short span after their release dates. Consequently, this trend lowers theater attendance by any means as some individuals may wait for a few weeks before streaming movies online rather than going to cinema halls. “We have spoiled the audience”, he commented stressing why it had to be reevaluated. Dil Raju stressed that when content is good even if it starts slow people will go and see it in cinemas but warned against early digital availability so promotion of box office receipts can be sustained. He likened quick profit from digital platforms to a goose’s golden egg story.Dil Raju’s speech also mentioned that other regional film industries are already beginning to enforce stricter rules to protect box-office revenues. In Bollywood, no movie is allowed on OTT before a minimum of 50 days from its theatrical release as orchestrated by multiplexes who threaten to take out screens in case of defiance of this rule. This move has also been followed by Malayalam cinema, and recently the Tamil Nadu producers’ Federation issued directives against early digital releases.Dil Raju’s call for action implies that the Telugu movie industry might soon follow suit where will embrace more stringent measures to guarantee the survival of theatrical releases even in an era of digital streaming. He is one of the most influential individuals in the industry, and his utterances could result in serious transformations regarding how films are released and consumed within this region.