My first movie in a theater was when I was ten years old. I recall the chaos of running late, a typical family squabble that always seemed to precede any outing or event. Despite the delay, I was thrilled to experience the grandeur of the big screen for the first time. It wasn't just the plot that captivated me; it was the sheer scale and detail of the images on screen. I was fully immersed, using all my senses to absorb the experience. To my family, it might have been just another outing, but for me, leaving the theater and exiting through the back while buzzing with excitement felt like a rite of passage.

Fast forward to today, and the landscape of movie-watching has dramatically changed. Technology has shifted our sensory experiences. Screens have become smaller, and movies are readily available on streaming platforms shortly after their release. We now watch movies anywhere—from the comfort of our beds to crowded train rides where we balance our phones with one hand while gripping the bar with the other.

Despite my personal preference for not frequenting cinemas, my mother often reminisces about her college days when she and her sister eagerly attended first-day, first-show screenings. I can count on one hand how many movies I've seen in theaters, and I admit that with each experience, I began to appreciate the plot more, even as I enjoyed the comfort of recliner chairs and the convenience of snacks.

These days, after a long day, I often unwind by watching my favorite series on Netflix. I truly value what streaming platforms have brought to our lives, yet I find myself increasingly drawn to series over movies. Why is that? Have we, as an audience, shifted our preference from movies to series, and if so, why?

Let's delve deeper into this

Human nature, or psychology plays a significant role here. We are inherently insatiable, always seeking more. Series cater to this trait by offering ongoing narratives that keep us engaged. Unlike movies, which must wrap up their stories within a limited timeframe, series provide the luxury of extended storytelling. For example, "Game of Thrones" offers an expansive and intricate world with a vast array of characters and intertwined storylines. Unlike a film, which has a set runtime to establish and resolve its plot, "Game of Thrones" spans multiple seasons, allowing the story to evolve gradually.

The series' ability to develop complex characters and intricate political plots over many episodes keeps viewers hooked, as they are continually introduced to new conflicts, alliances, and revelations. Each season leaves viewers eager for more, fueling their desire to see how the many narrative threads will converge. The extended format of the series lets the creators explore detailed backstories, deep character development, and elaborate world-building, all of which contribute to our inherent craving for ongoing stories and continuous engagement.

Creators know how to craft episodes that start with a hook, build tension, and deliver climaxes that maintain our interest, whether it's the end of a season or a mid-season break. This continuous engagement aligns with our desire for something that keeps us wanting more.

Aabhas Mohanty, an independent filmmaker and writer from India, offers a unique perspective on this debate. Although he admits that the series allows for greater creative freedom through extended character development, he maintains a deep appreciation for movies on the big screen. According to Mohanty, certain films, especially those by directors like Christopher Nolan, are meant to be experienced in a grand format. The full sensory experience of a big screen is essential to appreciate its scale and impact fully. He also suggests that series act as a bridge between books and movies, providing the right balance in length and detail.

While series offer a serialized storytelling experience that resonates with our desire for ongoing engagement, the grandeur of films—especially those designed for the big screen—continues to hold a special place in our cultural landscape.

India and the future of cinema

India produces the most number of films in a year. It has a large and diverse film industry that includes major regional centers like Bollywood (Hindi cinema), Tollywood (Telugu cinema), Kollywood (Tamil cinema), and others. Indian cinema consistently produces the highest number of films annually, with thousands of films released across various languages.

In exploring the changing dynamics of entertainment, I spoke with film researcher Swati Bakshi to discuss how Over-the-Top (OTT) platforms are reshaping audience preferences and what this shift means for the future of traditional cinema. We discussed how the rise of on-demand streaming services has influenced the balance between series and films, and what this shift means for the relevance of big screens in the evolving entertainment landscape.

She offered insights into the topic from the perspective of the production houses. Bakshi believes that OTT platforms' core strength lies in their accessibility, but they have also disrupted traditional monopolies in film and series production and distribution. Large Indian film production houses, which often maintained a limited scope in terms of stories and talent, are now challenged by global and local OTT platforms that operate without such restrictions. An example of this shift can be seen in the rise of content from production houses like Excel Entertainment (founded by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani) through their collaboration with platforms like Amazon Prime Video.

Traditionally known for Bollywood films like Dil Chahta Hai and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Excel Entertainment expanded its storytelling scope by producing shows like Mirzapur, a gritty crime drama set in small-town India, tailored for OTT audiences.

Such content may not have fit into the traditional Bollywood mold, which focused more on formulaic, big-budget films targeting broad audiences. OTT platforms allowed Excel Entertainment to explore darker, more complex narratives and cater to a niche audience with fewer creative restrictions. This shift showcases how OTT platforms enable production houses to experiment with new formats, genres, and talent that were previously underrepresented in mainstream Indian cinema. Moreover, they carry a stronger representation of the regional audiences building a strong connection and hence increasing the reach and loyalty of the audiences.

The demand for extensive content libraries has enabled smaller-budget films, previously unable to secure distribution due to the lack of star power, to find an audience. This comes out especially important because it provides a chance to young and budding producers to start small but equally provide them a platform to share the same space and screen with the big production houses.

It is no surprise that during the COVID-19 pandemic entertainment junkies found themselves blessed by the presence of OTT platforms. During the COVID-19 pandemic, India's OTT platforms experienced a sharp increase in both user base and revenue. For instance, According to the Boston Consulting Group report the number of OTT subscriptions grew by 60% in 2020, driven by lockdown-induced demand for digital entertainment. This brought India’s paid OTT subscribers to an estimated 70-80 million by 2021, up from just 14 million in 2018.

These numbers reflect the substantial growth of OTT consumption as more Indians turned to streaming services during the pandemic. Bakshi added that this availability of diverse, multi-genre content from across the world, all accessible with a single subscription, gradually attracted audiences to OTT. India's widespread mobile phone usage and affordable data plans further facilitated this sharp rise in content consumption, allowing viewers to engage with content from anywhere, at any time. In post-pandemic India, millions turned to OTT platforms, with the majority consuming content on mobile phones. Affordability and accessibility have thus become central to this newfound freedom in content consumption.

Theaters: a need for reinvention

As for traditional theaters, Bakshi believes they must strategize for survival. Star power alone is no longer enough to draw audiences back to the cinema. OTT platforms have revolutionized the entertainment space by offering a global library of content and fostering local stories featuring relatable characters from India's smaller towns, where a large portion of OTT viewers reside. OTT platforms like SonyLIV, Amazon Prime Video, and Netflix have popularized regional and hyper-local content. Shows like Paatal Lok (Amazon Prime) and Jamtara (Netflix) focus on stories from smaller towns in India, featuring relatable characters and addressing socio-political issues relevant to local audiences. These shows have drawn huge viewership, something traditional Bollywood blockbusters often fail to do.

Movies like Bulbul and Ludo on Netflix featured lesser-known actors and unique narratives that might not have been backed by traditional theaters. Therefore, for theaters to remain relevant, they will need to reinvent their offerings by diversifying the content they showcase, moving beyond blockbusters and certainly beyond Bollywood.

Moreover, it is not new that given the drastic shift in cinema, the multiplexes have induced changes in their strategies too, in order to run for a longer period of time. Theaters like PVR Cinemas and INOX have begun diversifying by screening independent films, regional cinema, and even international content to cater to changing tastes. For instance, in 2020, films like The Disciple (Marathi) and Jallikattu (Malayalam), which received global acclaim, were also showcased in select theaters, highlighting a move beyond mainstream Bollywood fare. In order to survive the change, it is important to impose these changes.

Ultimately, while OTT platforms continue to reshape the entertainment landscape, the future of theaters lies in their ability to evolve, diversify, and offer unique, compelling experiences that streaming services cannot replicate.

In my view, OTT platforms have gained a significant advantage by extending their reach far beyond traditional cinema. Shows like Sacred Games and Delhi Crime have garnered global acclaim, showcasing Indian content to a worldwide audience. These stories, deeply rooted in the local Indian context, might not have found the same level of success in traditional theaters. However, they have thrived on OTT platforms due to their accessibility and expansive reach, effectively putting Indian storytelling on the global stage. Who do you think wins in this race of entertainment?