While watching our favourite films on digital platforms comes with its own convenience, it also has its own set of setbacks.
One such setback was recently pointed out by a user who took to social media to express their frustration.
In a long tweet, the user shared that while watching Omkara, directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, on Prime Video, they realised that the film had been abruptly cut off.
Even though it was their first time watching the film, it didn’t take them long to notice that it had been badly edited, with random cuts and censored scenes.
The user expressed their disappointment and speculated that perhaps, according to Amazon Prime Video’s analytics, films under 140 minutes get more views.
They also questioned whether filmmakers were aware of or okay with this rampant butchering of their work.
This issue isn’t limited to Omkara, several other films have suffered the same fate.
Other users joined the conversation, pointing out that Firaaq, a film with a runtime of 1 hour and 52 minutes, had been reduced to just 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Many cited similar cases with older films, where versions on various streaming platforms had inconsistent runtimes and abrupt cuts.
Some even brought up Bandit Queen by Shekhar Kapur, which had also been heavily edited on Prime Video. Kapur himself addressed the issue, saying the film had become unrecognisable due to the excessive edits.
When filmmakers sell their films to streaming platforms, they do so in the hope of reaching a wider audience and gaining a longer shelf life. If these platforms continue tampering with the content, it could hurt everyone involved, even if not immediately.
Art cannot and should not be confined to runtime restrictions or data-driven boundaries. Truly good films work regardless of length. Butchering them to fit analytics is unfair both to the creators and to the audience.
