Manoj Bajpayee admits film producers are ‘worried’, says streaming platforms hold absolute power in the industry

Manoj Bajpayee said that streaming services hold the most power in the marketplace, and this needs to change.

New Delhi | May 27, 2023 04:29 PM IST

2 min read

Manoj Bajpayee's latest film Bandaa will stream on ZEE5.

Manoj Bajpayee's latest film Bandaa is streaming on ZEE5. (Photo: Manoj/Instagram)

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Actor Manoj Bajpayee, whose career attained new heights thanks to streaming platforms, said that film producers are definitely worried because all the power lies in the hands of the streamers. He said that he’d like theatres to regain their foothold in the moviegoing market, if only to make the industry a more democratic place.

In an interview with Janice Sequeira, he was asked why audiences no longer throng theatres like they used to, and whether there’s any truth to the theory that only spectacle films will work on the big screen going forward. He said, “They have experienced OTT so deeply during the lockdown, they will not go an watch any film and every film in the theatre. Viewing in theatre has to guarantee some experience beyond storytelling, and that is why people are giving this theory about spectacle films…”

Also read | Manoj Bajpayee says his wife Shabana felt ‘insulted, humiliated’ after watching one of his films: ‘She said stop doing films for money’

Asked if producers are worried, he said, “They are, they are worried, because power is in the hands of one medium, and that is OTT. And absolute power should not lie with one person. I strongly believe that moviegoing should increase, movie culture should come back, so that there are many stakeholders. When there are many players, the atmosphere will be much more democratic.”

Manoj has long been associated with smaller-scale films such as Aligarh and Bhonsle, but he has also done more mainstream movies such as Satya, Shool and Gangs of Wasseypur. In recent years, Manoj has also appeared in blockbusters such as Baaghi 2 and Satyameva Jayate. But it’s mostly thanks to his Prime Video series The Family Man that he has become one of the biggest stars of the OTT space, where the vast majority of his latest output is released.

This year’s biggest hit is the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Pathaan, which grossed over Rs 1000 crore globally. Last year, Bollywood could produce only around half-a-dozen theatrical hits.

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