'OTT vs Theatre' debate is irrelevant; both can perfectly co-exist: Kabir Khan

Filmmaker Kabir Khan, whose last film 83 starring Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone released in 2021 to lukewarm response, has seen a string of box office hits in his two-decade long career. He has worked with the biggest of stars and done some incredibly diverse films that have found love and appreciation from viewers and critics alike.

Though the covid-19 pandemic has brought in a sea change in terms of how we watch movies, Kabir is hopeful that OTT and theatres will co-exist perfectly, with both facilitating each other.

Speaking on the 'OTT vs Theatres' debate at an event, Kabir says, "The topic of OTT vs theatre is irrelevant and erroneous. There's going to be a co-existence and it's great for storytellers. OTT is surely becoming powerful but the concept of community viewing (in theatres) is never going to be outdated because it is ingrained in us as human beings. Though OTT has made films easily available to us, the joy of watching a film in a theatre will always be more thrilling."

Admitting that digital platforms have revolutionised the world of entertainment, Kabir says OTTs are more supportive of storytelling.

"The entry barriers are low and OTT platforms are more inclusive for films that don't have big stars. Also, many more storytellers and exciting voices are coming into the entertainment industry... What more can you ask for? We definitely need more OTTs for our films to penetrate and reach every section of viewers. They'll be a boon to smaller films which will perform better without any pressure and get the recognition that they deserve," says Khan.

On a concluding note, the 53-year-old director says there has to be a balance between the releases on OTTs and theatres. "Maybe we'll need to make spectacular films to draw the audiences to the theatres and the more humane, drama oriented films can be accessed by the audiences on OTT platforms," he says.