Cinema’s romance has always drawn the audience to theatres. With the increases in Covid cases, the theatres, however, had to be shut down. Film-makers opted for the OTT route and many big banner films were released on online platforms. While many think that OTT will take over silver screen, our July cover star, Vicky Kaushal, says the cinema’s romance will ‘never change’.

“I am no expert to really be spot on about it, but I feel like firstly, of course, health is of utmost importance. So even if films are released on the big screen, we have to be very safe to come back to the theatres. Of course, I hope it becomes safe for us soon. But the consumption of cinema and the romance of cinema is never going to die. Avenues are going to open up, and there are going to be more and more choices. But with cinema, the experience of community viewing, the experience of going into a black room where you forget the outside world, you are engrossed in one world which inspires you, that sort of a hypnotic effect that you have, is its romance, and that will always be there.

“What can happen,” he continues, “and what I think will happen is the kind of films that are released in the theatre and the viewing will be segregated. We have to also realise that the country has been hit economically, and for the common man, who is into a 9-5 job, a movie-watching experience was a one Friday thing in a month. For him, saving money for an outing during the pandemic and the luxury of cinema comes a little low.

So I think the choice they will make if they have to watch a movie, they will go for a certain kind of film. When the audience starts to choose, the producers also choose accordingly. I think there is going to be a modification but in its essence, I don’t think it is going to change the excitement that we have to go and watch a film in theatres. We are just waiting for a better time,” he says. Kaushal’s projects like Love Per Square Feet and Lust Stories has made it online but the star is yet to make an official debut on OTT.

Workwise, Vicky Kaushal has many films in the pipeline. He has Sardar Udham Singh, finished right before the lockdown, Immortal Ashwatthama with Aditya Dhar, and Sam Manekshaw with Meghna Gulzar in the pipeline.

Also Read: All The Roles Vicky Kaushal Really Wants To Play