Kangana Ranaut States 'OTT Platforms Are Running In Losses': 'They Are All Running In Panic Mode'

Kangana Ranaut recently opined that OTT platforms are dealing with many challenges of late. The actress stated that the digital streaming platforms are running heavy losses and are struggling to gain profit. She even shared that her hit film Queen wouldn’t be as successful today as it was back then because streaming platforms have captured that audience base in cinema halls.

During an event on TV9 Bharatvarsh, the actress was asked if OTT platforms have become a better place for actors. She shared, “You are portraying a very rosy picture of OTT. It had a bit of an upsurge at the beginning of COVID, where everyone felt it looked promising. Then there was this great fall. I can say with certain assurance that none of them (the platforms) are performing well. They are all running in losses.”

The actress, who herself had an OTT release with her production venture Tiku Weds Sheru, added, “Whenever a film did a blockbuster business, it had footfall in the range of two to three crores. OTT has divided this theatre-going audience into compartments. They have some millions of subscribers but are not able to cultivate new audiences, which is a big setback. They have taken away (the audience) from all your moderate-budget films, like English Vinglish, Queen, and Piku, from the theatres.”

She continued, “Today, you can’t imagine a Queen becoming successful in cinemas the way it did back then because they have taken away that audience. The satellite market has shattered, and those people are also a bit disoriented. We also run the risk of losing them to other avenues like free entertainment or convenient entertainment. My father used to watch TV; now he is on YouTube all the time.”

The actress was also asked if OTT would be a threat to the film industry; she stated that it’s too early to draw a conclusion about this. “I don’t know where it is headed. Their budgets are slashed by half, and they are all running right now in panic mode. Let’s see, we should give it more time. Having said that, the theatrical business is on the ventilator, for sure. We have these high-budget films that are doing well, but the rapid releases we used to have, which used to run the business of films, have definitely disappeared because of OTT.”

Meanwhile, on the work front, Kangana will be next seen in her directorial, Emergency.