In the March issue of Manifest, we caught up with Amrita Pandey, CEO, Junglee Pictures, on consumers' evolving watching habits, theatrical releases versus streaming strategy, building impactful, content-led cinema and more.

Having built her career from the early days of UTV to now shaping the creative direction at Junglee Pictures, Pandey reflected on her journey across television and film during a period of significant industry change, from the rise of multiplexes to the shift toward streaming.

She highlighted how evolving audience behaviour and platforms have reshaped storytelling, and emphasised her current focus at Junglee Pictures on a development-led approach, creating research-driven films that aim to be both meaningful and commercially successful. "One of the biggest learnings I have had from 2003 to today is that films are being watched on different platforms, and very different stories are resonating with today’s audience as compared to back then," she said.

Discussing the evolution of digital premieres since spearheading early SVOD deals in 2017, Pandey noted a significant shift in both audience behaviour and industry economics, particularly after the pandemic. She explained that while theatrical viewing hasn’t disappeared, 'audiences have become more selective',  with many opting to watch films on streaming platforms instead.

"Our viewing habits shifted dramatically. Firstly, many people who used to go to theatres are now watching films on streaming platforms. It’s not that audiences have stopped going to theatres altogether, they have simply become more selective. Secondly, the audience has become more language-agnostic. Language is no longer a barrier, and everyone is watching content in all languages. The phenomenon of Pan-Indian films has accelerated significantly. Earlier, when planning the release of a Hindi film, one would only track which other Hindi film was releasing on the same date. But today, that framework has changed. We are competing with films across seven languages in theatres , with what’s trending on streaming, and even with a major cricket match that week and much more," she added.

Pandey also highlighted how streaming platforms have matured, moving from subscriber growth to profitability, resulting in more performance-driven and strategic deals.

She said, "When the streamers first entered the market, they invested heavily at acquiring subscribers rather than focusing on profitability. That focus has now shifted towards driving profits instead of just growing viewership.  The deals happening today are far more performance-driven. Platforms are much more strategic in their approach."

Pandey stressed that this shift has also reshaped marketing strategies, where creating urgency to watch in theatres has become critical. With audiences aware that films will soon be available online, opening weekend performance and word of mouth are key drivers.

She further emphasised that strong content remains central, alongside sharper, more targeted campaigns. "Creating that urgency to watch the film, especially around the opening weekend and the second weekend, is our first KPI. The second KPI is word of mouth. If a film doesn’t generate positive word of mouth, it simply won’t go anywhere," she noted.

This conversation first appeared in our March issue. Click here to buy the copy and unlock the whole conversation.