Bheemla Nayak, the Telugu remake of Malayalam blockbuster Ayyappanum Koshiyum marks the coming together of Pawan Kalyan, Rana, Saagar K Chandra, and Trivikram. The film is slated for theatrical release on the 12th of January 2022 and it is riding high on buzz already. Now, a senseless rumor pertaining to Bheemla Nayak’s OTT rights valuation has surfaced on the internet.
A few social media handles are stating that Netflix had offered as much as Rs 225-227 crores for the direct to digital rights of Bheemla Nayak but the makers of the project turned down the same. These rumors are being reshared by Pawan Kalyan’s fans on Twitter. Well, anyone who has a clue about Netflix’s acquisition model can easily deduct that the OTT giant won’t spend in excess of Rs 220 crores for a regional film, and that too a remake.
Also, Netflix hasn’t been too successful in acquiring the post theatrical digital streaming rights of mainstream Telugu biggies, let alone direct to OTT rights. If anything, Amazon Prime would be the favorite to orchestrate a direct to OTT release for the film. Either way, the makers of Bheemla Nayak are sticking to the theatrical release prospect and they simply aren’t interested in giving the film a direct to OTT release.
Another observation is that Bheemla Nayak is likely to face the wrath of the government of Andhra Pradesh when it comes to ticket prices and special shows. So, the theatrical business of the film will be volatile. If Netflix really offers Rs 225 crores for the direct to OTT rights, it would mean that the makers would be making more than twice their investment on the project and they will be beyond tempted to contemplate the same. A related report would have surfaced on mainstream media if it had really happened. But there was nothing as such. It is evident that this rumor is being manifested by a section of fans.