Sony Pictures Films India has announced a fresh slate of 17 pictures that would be released in India over the next year, including Hindi, regional language, and Hollywood films.
These include Tera Kya Hoga Lovely, starring Ileana D’Cruz and Randeep Hooda, Looop Lapeta, directed by ad filmmaker Aakash Bhatia and starring Taapsee Pannu and Tahir Raj Bhasin, underwater thriller Dive, directed by Nitin Parmar, and Saale Aashiq, a film about honour killings to be directed by debutants Siddharth -Garima, Nikamma, starring Abhimanyu, Shirley Setia, and Shilpa Shetty, Aankh Micholi, a family entertainer, and Major, based on the life of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, who was killed in the 26/11 attacks.
Meanwhile, in the coming months, Sony will release Hollywood films such as Spider-Man: No Way Home on December 17th, Venom 2- Let There Be Carnage on October 15th, Escape Room 2: Tournament of Champions, Ghostbusters – Afterlife, Uncharted, Morbius, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, The Man From Toronto, and Bullet Train. Last week, the studio released the horror movie Don’t Breathe 2.
Vivek Krishnani, managing director, Sony Pictures Films India said, “There has been huge disruption in the feature film landscape (over the past few months) and a serious shift in creative thinking has taken place for filmmakers to see what will work from a theatrical and OTT point of view.”
“We have to create larger-than-life narratives because if people have to make the effort to go to theatres and pay for F&B, they must be given creatively rewarding content,” he says. Apart from eating out, Krishnani believes that going to the theatre will continue to be a popular family activity in India. The business, which has lately released online originals such as Helmet and Dial 100 on ZEE5, feels that OTT material is still viewed individually.
While the south Indian markets, particularly Telugu, have recovered, Krishnani believes it is vital for Maharashtra to reopen theatres so that Hindi films may begin booking dates.
