Parineeti Chopra feels digital releases are a compromise
Ever since the coronavirus pandemic shuttered theaters across the country, whether producers should wait for dust to settle or go for a direct digital release has remained a burning question. Now, Bollywood actor Parineeti Chopra has weighed in on the matter, saying she feels that OTT releases are a compromise and she would hate it if her films directly land on a streaming platform.
All movie halls closed down in March, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. As enough time passed and uncertainty persisted, many producers decided to take the digital route for their films. Several major Bollywood films including Ayushmann Khurrana and Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Gulabo Sitabo, Vidya Balan's Shakuntala Devi, and Janhvi Kapoor-starrer Gunjan Saxena have already been given a digital release.
In an interaction with Filmfare, Parineeti said, "Somehow, we are still traditional and feel like OTT is a compromised release. But you never know, everyone is changing his or her way of thinking and functioning." "There is that traditional Indian cine-goer in me, who believes cinema will never die. We want our films to release in theatres, whenever it happens," the 31-year-old added.
Parineeti said that all her upcoming movies are "so important". "I have literally bet my life on them and worked hard on them. I would hate for them to have a compromised release," she added.
Parineeti's long-pending comedy movie Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar was set to release in March, when the pandemic shuttered cinemas. The actor revealed that they were in the middle of promotions when their plans were halted. "We were two days into promotions when all of this happened," she said. Directed by Dibakar Banerjee, the movie reunites Parineeti with her Ishaqzaade co-star Arjun Kapoor.
Parineeti also has The Girl on the Train and Saina in the pipeline. Directed by Ribhu Dasgupta, The Girl On The Train is a remake of the 2016 eponymous Hollywood film, starring Emily Blunt in the lead role. It also stars Aditi Rao Hydari, Kirti Kulhari, and Avinash Tiwary. On the other hand, Saina is a biopic on ace Indian badminton player Saina Nehwal.
Talking about her upcoming films, Parineeti said The Girl On The Train is currently in the post-production stage. She said the team is "in midst of editing and locking the final cuts. Weirdly, it's a blessing in disguise. Because I know once the lockdown ends, they will work on it and then decide whether they want a theatrical or an OTT release."
