Nandamuri Balakrishna‘s Akhanda and Nani‘s Shyam Singha Roy are up for OTT debuts. Both these much-anticipated films are arriving on OTT on the 21st of this month. While Akhanda premieres on Disney+ Hotstar at 6 PM on 21st January, Shyam Singha Roy will be made available for streaming on Netflix from 12 AM on 21st Jan. These are two of next big outing in the Telugu OTT space.
Akhanda is an out and out action thriller, a genre that is not particularly popular amongst the Telugu OTT audience. On the flip side, Shyam Singha Roy is a period drama, a genre that usually enjoys some patronage in the OTT space.
But what Akhanda does have in abundance are the X factor elements. The film has more than enough elevation blocks and adrenaline pumping action blocks that can pull the Telugu OTT audience. Thaman’s background score has added a whole lot of impetus to the action sequences and they most certainly do have repeat value. Balakrishna’s massy portrayal is obviously the mainstay.
As for Shyam Singha Roy, the film is mostly powered by Nani’s spotless portrayal of the Shyam Singha Roy character. But the film does not have the X factor that can pull the OTT audience right from the day of its premieres. This is the kind of film that might gradually go on to fetch good viewership, provided it does manage to impress the OTT audience.
As things stand, Akhanda is better placed to pull the OTT crowd. Balakrishna – Boyapati Sreenu combination, Thaman’s exhilarating BGM, and adrenaline-pumping action blocks will draw the attention of the audience at least for a few days from the OTT premieres. This is a natural advantage that a proper commercial entertainer always enjoys – anticipation, and sadly that is what Shyam Singha Roy lacks.
We can expect Akhanda to clearly dominate Shyam Singha Roy at least for 2-3 post the premieres. Akhanda’s action-packed elevation blocks will certainly break the internet. As for Shyam Singha Roy, the film is likely to pick up the momentum gradually following its OTT debut.