Digital space will wipe out small, medium budget films: Vikram

Mumbai, Sep 11 (PTI) Bollywood filmmaker Vikram Bhattfeels the digital space has become so huge that it will "wipeout" medium and small budget movies in near future. The "Raaz Reboot" helmer says the people, who believethe digital space is just a phase which will eventually fadeaway, are wrong. "I feel digital is here to stay. It is going to wipeout small and medium budget films, mark my words. You don’tknow just how big it is going to become. Anybody, who thinksthis is a phase, is sadly mistaken," Bhatt told PTI in aninterview. When asked if this will be a problem, he said, "Whyshould it be a problem? It has happened in the west. We don’tsee films so much being made there. Just the big summerblockbusters, or you will see horrors. But the other ones arealmost done." The 47-year-old director will be part of the webseries "Once Upon A Time With Vikram Bhatt". The 104-part webseries of Sony Liv will see Bhatt narrate his popular shortstories on camera. He feels the good thing about digital medium is notjust lack of censorship, but the ability to make a materialtravel anywhere across the world sans any major hurdles. "It is just not about censorship, it is also not aboutbothering how much money needs to be put. On digital space,you put something out there and the carrier is a phone or alaptop. That is the carrier of today’s entertainment module. "I don’t need a theatre to screen my show, or adistributor and exhibitor to chase and negotiate. There is nocost. It comes all over the world, so suddenly the world isyour oyster," he said. Bhatt’s show, flag-shipped by Sony Pictures Networksexecutive vice president and head digital business Uday Sodhi,will be available on web and mobile platforms. Adding to the filmmaker’s opinion, Sodhi says onlinemedium is still an untapped space and that they are trying torope-in more Bollywood celebrities for future projects. "Digital medium democratises how we tell and listen tostories today. Our idea is to bring out 100 stories, somethingwhich no other medium can give you the power of. We arecertainly looking forward to rope-in more celebrities for ourfuture web series," he said. Bhatt will narrate 10-15 min short stories rangingfrom mythology, horror, love, crime and several other genres.PTI JUR GK PSHRDS