Kollywood is slowly changing the way it releases films on OTT platforms. Until a few months ago, big Tamil films used to arrive on OTT just four weeks after their theatrical run. But now, many filmmakers are holding back and preferring an 8-week gap before the movie starts streaming. The latest example is Coolie, starring superstar Rajinikanth and directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. The film is set to release in theatres on August 14 and as per reports, it will apparently come to Amazon Prime Video after eight full weeks in cinemas.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time we have heard about such a decision. Thug Life, too, made headlines when the makers insisted on an 8-week delay before OTT. The idea behind this is simple, the makers believe that big films with big stars will draw people to theatres and make more money at the box office. But does this always work? Not really, many films that delayed their OTT release did not perform as expected. Today, most people prefer watching films from the comfort of their homes. Except for hardcore theatre goers, many find OTT more convenient.
The problem is, only big films with big stars like Rajinikanth, and high budget bombastic action sequences can afford to take this risk. Smaller films with lesser-known actors can’t survive with such delays because their main audience comes from OTT. If this 8-week rule becomes common, it might make things tougher for smaller films. Audiences might just lose interest by the time the movie arrives on streaming. So while Coolie can afford this move, the same might not work well for others. It’s a tricky trend that the industry needs to think about carefully.
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