Director LEENA YADAV talks to SANGEETA YADAV about releasing her film Rajma Chawal on Netflix instead of the big screen and how it works for filmmakers
From Love Per Square Foot, Lust Stories, Brij Mohan Amar Rahe, Annihilation to now Rishi Kapoor starrer Rajma Chawal. The year 2018 had seen many Bollywood and Hollywood films releasing exclusively on Netflix instead of big screens. Where some filmmakers made their film keeping in mind the Netflix release, others like Leena Yadav, who has Teen Patti and Parched to her credit, decided much later to explore the other platform for this small budget film.
“After we finished making Rajma Chawal — that premiered on November 30, 2018 — and figuring out the distribution model, Netflix approached us to collaborate for its release exclusively on the over-the-top (OTT) platform (a term that is used delivery of film and TV content via the Internet). For me, it was a difficult decision to make but my husband Aseem Bajaj felt that this was the best choice to release a film worldwide. Two key things that convinced me too to go for a Netflix release over a theatre release. One, if it is Netflix, the film will live forever and as a producer, how will I ever reach such a large number of audiences that Netflix has,” Yadav says.
With the advent of OTT platforms, there is a shift in the consumption of media as audience worldwide like to watch films and web series at their own convenience. For filmmakers, diversification is the new strategy.
“It is not Netflix vs Theatres or box office collection vs live streaming. It is about the choices you make that suit you the best. For small budget films, a Netflix release is a great option as you cut down on a lot of expenses on its distribution and promotional activities.
“Moreover, Rajma Chawal is not meant for Box Office because films don’t necessarily have a weekend life which is what box offices have become about these days as filmmakers wait to see how much collection has their film made over the weekend. Moreover, not everybody watches a film at the time of its release on big screens which stays for limited time. So for any audience, the premiere of the film in the real sense is whenever they watch it and Netflix gives you that flexibility. So let OTT platforms come into your life because most interesting content exists there which you can watch anytime and anywhere,” Yadav tells you.
The film like the ever favourite dish, has a universal appeal, as it resonates the parent-child relationship in times of social media despite regional, language and cultural disparities.
“A take away from the film would be that there is no generation which is right and wrong. We have to understand and learn from each other. We need to stop blaming our generation and start keeping up with time. Parents at the age of 50s and 60s are making a lot of effort and start learning and changing with time. Whatever happens, let’s not stop talking to each other. Technology has its place but there is a great human value in sitting next to each other and having a real conversation. This thing should not go out of fashion,” Yadav tells you.
