One may think that films should be and can be enjoyed on the large cinema screens. Absolutely, but what when the situations and circumstances don’t allow the experience. The last two years have been very different and (we are still reeling under the threat of the dreaded virus) has altered the dynamics of all individuals and businesses.
So, there are two ways to look at it – if one prefers to watch cinema in theatres, the options available remain limited, and then one must make efforts to plan a theatre outing. On the other hand, on the digital platforms (OTT), all the above are taken care off. The audience get a large offering on the platter and the makers get to explore and exploit the global audience.
Consider the case of the latest Dharma Productions release Gehraiyaan, featuring Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday and Dhairya Karwa directed by Shakun Batra of Kapoor & Sons fame. It being a mature film would have got restricted audience in the cinema. However, the makers smartly released the film on digital platform giving it an even wider audience, what with the film being available (almost) globally.
Gehraiyaan is Dharma’s third feature film offering straight on the digital exploiting the new age viewing experience. Shakun Batra’s Gehraiyaan is a complex narrative weaved around two couples, their families, expectations and more. Gehraiyaan could very well be tagged into the domestic noir genre. The very first reel sets the tone of the film and summarizes the complexities in relationships, expectations, and the price one must pay for their deeds.
Earlier, last year Dharma released the Sidharth Malhotra, Kiara Advani starrer Shershaah on the OTT and found success with the war drama, which earned accolades and appreciation. In fact, Amazon stated that Shershaah had become the most watched Indian film on the platform. Shershaah is based on Captain Vikram Batra, who fought bravely during the 1999 Kargil War.
Apparently, Dharma Productions already had an experience with their ‘Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl’, which was scheduled to release theatrically, but the film’s theatrical release was put on hold. ‘Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl’ finally premiered on Netflix with an overall positive word-of-mouth with many praising Janhvi.
Interestingly, both the films have war in the backdrop. While Shershaah is based on Captain Vikram Batra, who fought bravely during the 1999 Kargil War, Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl is based on the life of a brave female combat pilot who also served the country during the Kargil War. Both Shershaah and Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl are produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions!
Had the pandemic not wreaked havoc, Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl and Shershaah would have released in cinemas. Nevertheless, it led to a back-to-back digital success for Dharma Productions.
These 3 films went straight to OTT and the response has proved yet again that this is one of the finest production houses to succeed on the digital space too.
Not just these films but Dharma also produced ‘Ajeeb Daastaans’ for Netflix. Ajeeb Daastaans is an anthology film, consisting of four short film segments directed by Shashank Khaitan, Raj Mehta, Neeraj Ghaywan and Kayoze Irani.
‘Searching for Sheela’, a 2021 documentary film created, directed by Shakun Batra traces the life of Ma Anand Sheela, who was the spokesperson of the Rajneesh movement, when she returns to India. This was also a product by Karan Johar’s Dharmatic Entertainment and was released on Netflix.
‘Meenakshi Sundareshwar’, a romantic comedy film directed by Vivek Soni was produced by Karan Johar’s Dharmatic Entertainment banner, the digital arm of Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions. The film stars Sanya Malhotra and Abhimanyu Dassani in the titular characters of a newlywed couple forced to live apart due to a unique job prospect and struggles with the problems that arise from their long-distance marriage.
Meenakshi Sundareshwar was premiered on Netflix coinciding with Diwali. Though the film received mixed reviews, the performances and chemistry of Dassani and Malhotra were appreciated.
All in all, with the range in genre and scale of productions and a slate of upcoming productions, it appears that Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions and Dharmatic Entertainment are right on the top of the digital space too.