Filmmaker Nikkhil Advani says it is not easy to hold back ready projects but the pandemic has taught him that he should not opt for OTT platforms if the content is not designed for the medium.
Adavni has a packed slate with films like Akshay Kumar starrer ”Bell Bottom”, John Abraham-headlined ”Satyameva Jayate 2” and Rani Mukerji’s drama ”Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway”.
While ”Bell Bottom” is finally gearing up for a theatrical release on August 19, there is no clarity on Milap Zaveri-helmed ”Satyameva Jayate 2”, which was pushed from its scheduled release in May due to the second wave of coronavirus in the country.
”It is extremely difficult to hold on to projects. The lure, the ease to go direct to digital is always there. But what we have learnt in the last year is that it is a disservice to the content by making it for a particular audience and then passing it on to the digital,” Advani told PTI.
The filmmaker said his banner, Emmay Entertainment, has formed dedicated verticals for feature films and projects meant for the streaming platforms.
In December 2020, his Kiara Advani starrer production ”Indoo Ki Jawani” released theatrically while this year, ”Sardar Ka Grandson”, starring Arjun Kapoor, headed straight to Netflix.
”Something like a ‘Satyameva Jayate 2’ is meant for the theatrical release as it was designed that way. Our second vertical is working on the digital space, developing and producing stuff primarily for the OTT,” he added.
Advani said the case with ”Bell Bottom” is different, as the film’s burden is more with producers Vashu Bhagnani, Jackky Bhagnani and Deepshikha Deshmuk of Pooja Entertainment.
The Ranjit M Tewari directorial spy thriller will be the first Hindi movie to hit theatres during the second wave of the pandemic.
”The burden of ‘Bell Bottom’ lies more with the Bhagnanis as well as Akshay Kumar. As far as Emmay was concerned, we developed the story and had a director with us who wanted to make the film. ”In effect, both the story and the director were loaned out to the Bhagnanis. They had signed up Akshay and he wanted to do this film so he got the two of us together.” On the digital front, the ”D-Day” director is gearing up for the release of his period action drama series, ”The Empire”, on Disney +Hotstar.
He has the upcoming Amazon Prime Video series ”Mumbai Diaries 26/11”, a medical drama that revolves around the frontline heroes who saved many lives during the Mumbai terror attacks.
Though the show was initially slated to release in March, Advani said the streamer will announce a new date soon.
Advani is also backing a multi-starrer web series directed by ”Baazaar” helmer Gauravv K Chawla.
”It is in post production, there will be an announcement soon. I am extremely happy that it is a cast that is led by Naseeruddin Shah, Raghubir Yadav, Lara Dutta, Soha Ali Khan, Kritika Kamra and Anya Singh. They are fantastic on the show,” he added.
