It was with great fanfare that Prime Video India bought the streaming rights for the highly touted ‘Shaakuntalam’. Not just the original Telugu version, Prime Video India bought the streaming rights for all the five languages that the ‘pan-India’ film released in theatres – namely Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi.
Cut to today, and Prime Video India’s enthusiasm for the Samantha Ruth Prabhu starrer Shaakuntalam seems to have worn off considerably. The sheen is off, and it is only because of the dismal showing of Shaakuntalam at the box office – not just pan-India, but also in its home states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The film is a flop, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it; least of all Prime Video, which allegedly paid a whopping sum for the multi-lingual streaming rights of Shaakuntalam.
Shaakuntalam flopped, no doubt; but is that reason enough for Prime Video to be ashamed of their acquisition?
So ashamed that Prime Video released Shaakuntalam on streaming without so much as a single promo or pre-notice?
For those who don’t know, Shaakuntalam began streaming on Prime Video last night, without any prior notice — not even a measly social media post on Prime Video’s Twitter or Instagram handle. Imagine releasing a buzzy, much-awaited title on streaming, without so much as a squeak on social media. If we’re not mistaken, isn’t that what social media is there for, right?
But in Shaakuntalam and Prime Video India’s case, maybe not.
‘Shaakuntalam’ is a mythological drama, starring Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Dev Mohan, Mohan Babu, Jisshu Sengupta, Madhoo, Gautami, Aditi Balan and Ananya Nagalla in pivotal roles. It is written and directed by Gunasekhar, produced by Neelima Guna under Gunaa Teamworks and presented by Sri Venkateswara Creations.
Shaakuntalam is now streaming on Prime Video India. Have a look at the trailer of the film –