India festive season boom for entertainment via streaming |
Every year in Indian Cinema, the biggest releases of the year are reserved for the Oct-Dec festive season, especially Diwali, but for the first time this year, the festival quarter will not see any big-ticket film releases in the cinemas which have remained shut because of the pandemic. But it is good news for the video streaming services as the season will witness more business than usual. Service providers have lined up a slew of releases, movies, and series, across languages in time from Dussehra, to Diwali, and rounding off with Christmas and New Year. Akshay Kumar`s LAXMII on Disney+ Hotstar and Varun Dhawan`s COOLIE No.1 on Amazon Prime Video are expected to `clash` on Diwali. The pandemic has changed the fervor of festivals around the world, including India. People are still exercising necessary caution, and with safety becoming a top priority, festivals are continuing to be a small affair with limited outdoor interactions. In such a scenario, audiences are opting for alternative entertainment that can be enjoyed with the entire family on streaming platforms and also on television. Theatre owners across India have been desperately waiting for permission to reopen cinema halls. However, even after the government lifted the restrictions, the cine-goers are still not reaching the theatres. That clouds the upcoming festival weekend of Diwali.
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