The Indian government strengthened its laws. Through amendments to the Copyright Act, film piracy was reclassified with tough penalties, including a maximum prison sentence of three years and substantial fines that could reach up to five percent of a film's production budget.
As movie theaters closed indefinitely, Bollywood took a historic pivot. In 2020 alone, that were destined for a theatrical release went straight to streaming . Major films like Coolie No. 1 , Gulabo Sitabo (starring Amitabh Bachchan), and Shakuntala Devi opted for a direct-to-digital release, bypassing the traditional box office entirely. This period also saw a massive increase in the number of Hindi films releasing directly on OTT platforms, peaking at 53 in 2021 before declining in subsequent years. Theatrical releases that managed to pull audiences back post-lockdown, despite the challenges, included: wwwfilmyhitcom bollywood movies 2013 2021
: A critically acclaimed biographical war film released directly on OTT, capturing the hearts of millions globally. The Indian government strengthened its laws