Multiplex chain INOX Leisure today warned movie production houses of "retributive action" if they decide to release their movies directly on OTT platforms, by skipping theatres.

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Without naming the makers of Gulabo Sitabo, which will be released on Amazon Prime on June 12, INOX expressed "extreme displeasure and disappointment" at the "announcement made by a production house today to release their movie directly on an OTT platform ."

Terming the move as alarming and disconcerting, INOX said in its release that it would be "constrained to examine its options and reserves all rights including taking retributive measures in dealing with such fair weather friends."

Below is the full text of the release:

"INOX would like to express extreme displeasure and disappointment on the announcement made by a production house today to release their movie directly on an OTT platform by skipping the theatrical window run.

The decision of production house to deviate from the globally prevalent content windowing practice is alarming and disconcerting. Cinemas and content creators have always been into mutually beneficial partnerships, where one's action provided fillip to another's revenues.

INOX has been investing profoundly towards adding world class quality screens across the country only to provide more eyeballs to the great content being produced. This partnership has endured for decades and as provided succour to each other. In these troubled times, it is disturbing to see one of the partners not interested in continuing the mutually beneficial relationship, especially when the need of the hour is to stand shoulder to shoulder with each other and bring the film industry back to its vibrant best.

Such acts, though isolated, vitiate the atmosphere of mutual partnerships and paints these content producers as fair weather friends rather than all weather lifelong partnerships. Needless to say, INOX will be constrained to examine its options and reserves all rights including taking retributive measures in dealing with such fair weather friends.

INOX would like to reiterate that as the backbone of the cinematic value chain, this windowing path pattern has done wonders in terms of revenue for the content creators and all other stakeholders, as it offers them the opportunity to extract the best from all available mediums which include cinemas, OTT platforms, as well as satellite INOX would like to urge all content creators not to skip the theatrical run and stay with the age old and established windowing pattern which is in the best interest of all stakeholders in the value chain."