Digital space has become huge, will wipe out medium, small budget movies: Vikram Bhatt

Bollywood filmmaker Vikram Bhatt feels the digital space has become so huge that it will “wipe out” medium and small budget movies in near future.

The “Raaz Reboot” helmer says the people, who believe the digital space is just a phase which will eventually fade away, are wrong.

“I feel digital is here to stay. It is going to wipe out small and medium budget films, mark my words. You don’t know just how big it is going to become. Anybody, who thinks this is a phase, is sadly mistaken,” Bhatt told PTI in an interview.

When asked if this will be a problem, he said, “Why should it be a problem? It has happened in the west. We don’t see films so much being made there. Just the big summer blockbusters, or you will see horrors. But the other ones are almost done.”

The 47-year-old director will be part of the web series “Once Upon A Time With Vikram Bhatt”. The 104-part web series of Sony Liv will see Bhatt narrate his popular short stories on camera.

He feels the good thing about the digital medium is not just lack of censorship, but the ability to make a material travel anywhere across the world sans any major hurdles.

“It is just not about censorship, it is also not about bothering how much money needs to be put. On digital space, you put something out there and the carrier is a phone or a laptop. That is the carrier of today’s entertainment module.

“I don’t need a theater to screen my show, or a distributor and exhibitor to chase and negotiate. There is no cost. It comes all over the world, so suddenly the world is your oyster,” he said.

Bhatt’s show, flag-shipped by Sony Pictures Networks executive vice president and head digital business Uday Sodhi, will be available on the web and mobile platforms.

Adding to the filmmaker’s opinion, Sodhi says the online medium is still an untapped space and that they are trying to rope in more Bollywood celebrities for future projects.

“Digital medium democratizes how we tell and listen to stories today. Our idea is to bring out 100 stories, something which no other medium can give you the power off. We are certainly looking forward to rope in more celebrities for our future web series,” he said.

Bhatt will narrate 10-15 min short stories ranging from mythology, horror, love, crime and several other genres.