The collapse of Indian cinema

More than two-third of Indian cinema's revenues were wiped out last year

It was a sad Eid last week. As the pandemic batters Indians, there is simply too much grief and suffering around to feel celebratory. The release of the much-delayed Salman Khan starrer, Radhe, sort of captured the mood. After waiting for a pandemic-free window, it finally gave in and released on Zee5 last week. Unsurprisingly, it was panned by critics and audiences. Maybe the film is bad. But it is made worse by an OTT release. Radhe is the kind of film that opens on an Eid weekend to a sell-out crowd. It is an old-fashioned, “scream your guts out