An adaptation of the Hindu epic Ramayana, Om Raut’s much-awaited historical film ‘Adipurush’ starring Prabhas (as Adipurush / Lord Ram), Saif Ali Khan (as Lankesh / Ravana), and Kriti Sanon (as Janaki / Goddess Sita) is being described as one of the most expensive Indian movies ever made. The film is set for a theatrical release on 12th January 2023. So, certainly, besides the box-office earnings, the big-ticket film must also be relying on the cost fetched by the film’s digital and satellite rights.
As per the latest buzz and updates by film industry-based portals, the digital rights for ‘Adipurush’ have been bagged by none other than Netflix and that too reportedly for a whopping amount of Rs.250 crore. However, there is no official confirmation in this regard.
It’s a fact that the commercial performance of ‘Adipurush’ would depend a lot on Prabhas’ tremendous box-office pull. But considering the insipid box-office response of the ‘Baahubali’ actor’s previous film ‘Radhe Shyam’, is it the right move for Netflix to acquire the digital rights of ‘Adipurush’ at such a high price?
It is mention-worthy that before ‘Radhe Shyam’, Prabhas’ previous theatrical release was the gangster action flick ‘Saaho’. The film failed to impress the critics but nevertheless went on to become the second highest grossing Indian movie of 2019. That’s the box-office pull that a Pan-India superstar like Prabhas exerts on the audiences.
After the phenomenal success of S.S. Rajamouli’s ‘Baahubali’ films, brand Prabhas has reached a different level altogether. So, the box-office failure of one film is not expected to affect his forthcoming projects commercially, with respect to their theatrical performance along with their post-theatrical digital and satellite rights. And ‘Adipurush’ is certainly no exception.
Let’s also not forget that ‘Adipurush’ has been directed by acclaimed filmmaker Om Raut, whose last directorial – the historical action film ‘Tanhaji’ starring Ajay Devgn and Saif Ali Khan performed exceptionally well at the box office besides receiving unanimous critical acclaim.
So, with a filmmaker of Om Raut’s calibre and vision at the helm of affairs combined with the star power of Prabhas and the inclusion of Saif Ali Khan should yield rich dividends for ‘Adipurush’ commercially (from both theatrical and digital point of view). But whether the purported digital rights acquisition of ‘Adipurush’ for Rs.250 crores by Netflix would fetch the OTT giant the required traction can only be ascertained after the film’s release.
Moreover, considering the incredible global response that Netflix got from OTT audiences for S.S. Rajamouli’s ‘RRR’ Hindi version, sky is the limit now and it’s not unreasonable to assume that Netflix has already got another winner under its belt – ‘Adipurush’. Coming back to the question: is Adipurush’s massive digital rights acquisition by Netflix an expensive risk? Yes, it’s obviously expensive, but a calculated risk worth taking!
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