In recent times, Bollywood films are struggling badly. Even big star movies are failing to attract audiences to theaters. Instead, people are showing more interest in big South Indian dubbed films.
This shift has surprised many industry experts. But it is not just Bollywood — the movie-watching habit across India itself is changing.
Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos recently spoke about this trend. At a public event, he said that audiences now prefer watching films at home.
According to him, people will only go to theaters for grand, special films. Otherwise, they are happy watching everything else on OTT platforms.
During the Covid pandemic, people got used to OTT, and that habit has only grown stronger in India. Ted Sarandos even said that going to theaters is slowly becoming old-fashioned. Most people now prefer the comfort of watching movies at home through streaming.
He clearly mentioned that the traditional method of going to theaters in large groups is disappearing. Though some still love the theater experience, it has become a rare event. Watching movies at home has become the new normal.
Ted Sarandos also said that theaters may face an uncertain future. When audiences can get whatever they want on OTTs, why would they spend extra time and money to go to a theater unless it offers a big spectacle? His comments strongly reflect the trend we are seeing in India today.
Only large-scale movies are able to pull crowds to theaters. Regular films are struggling to generate much revenue. Ted Sarandos believes that OTT platforms have a very strong future ahead, and that movie-watching habits have completely changed forever.
Ted Sarandos is missing a key truth: movie-watching in theaters can never become outdated. It’s not just about size or spectacle — it’s about the emotional connection, the shared energy of a crowd, and the unforgettable experience that a good film delivers.
Audiences are not rejecting theaters; they are rejecting lazy, uninspired films. In recent times, even big movies like Sikandar and Game Changer failed because they lacked fresh stories and emotional depth.
People are willing to spend their time and money — but only when a film gives them real value. Theaters will thrive again when filmmakers respect the audience’s intelligence, time, money, and efforts to come to the theaters.
