Bollywood: No news is bad news

Should you visit a theatre today, you won’t find a soul at the ticket counter. You won’t find any usher inside. You won’t hear pre-recorded sounds. You won’t see any visual on the screen. Such quietude will make you uneasy, but it won't take you by surprise.

Adored by millions, Bollywood seems capable of carrying on with a smile even if a grave concern impacts the society at large. The reality of the moment tells a different story. Many films have been postponed, and work on underproduction ones have come to a halt. Waiting for much-awaited films like Laxmi Bomb and ’83 is the only choice for the viewer. Karan Johar cannot work on Takht, his ambitious underproduction film, either. These are just a few instances that have contributed to the big picture of today.

Stars are making news because their films have been postponed, or since they are helping the needy, or because of their increased activity on social media. Their donations are making news, too, with Akshay Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan among those who turned into trending hashtags for their generous contributions when millions truly need it.

Workout videos of stars trapped inside their homes and looking after their chiselled bodies are making news. The sight of a cooking-beaming Katrina Kaif has fetched thousands of likes.

Salman Khan, who is rumoured to have spent a substantial amount to help out-of-job daily wagers, has written, sung and released a short song online called Pyar Karona, which would have entertained his millions of fans. SRK had a lively interactive session on Twitter, and his characteristically smart answers were loved by his devotees who follow the content of each two-line-long snippet on him.

The gossip industry is working overtime. Incorrigible fiction-mongers are suggesting that some producers of completed big-budget films intend to release them on OTT platforms first. That won’t happen.

An OTT platform is an urban phenomenon, and a megastar like Salman Khan would not limit his film’s reach to that tiny, albeit lucrative, segment of the national market. Neither would Deepika Padukone nor Akshay Kumar, whose fans number in millions in rural and suburban India.

Film producers want to make money and more money. Why should they strike a deal with Netflix when they can earn much more after the film industry is back in business? An online-first release might emerge as a possibility only if the current situation deteriorates manifold and the wait extends for much longer.

Optimism can make us smile for a while, but losing sight of reality can boomerang. Even after theatres reopen, which won’t happen right after the lockdown ends, 99 per cent of film buffs will be apprehensive about walking into one of them.

What if one sits a few feet away from an asymptomatic carrier and invites the novel coronavirus into his body? That apprehension will keep most viewers away for some time. For how long, of course, is the unanswerable question.

Bollywood has no news of the kind that makes us happy every Friday. And, things shall remain unchanged for quite some time. That, dear readers, is very bad news.