The highly anticipated OTT release of Teja Sajja’s mythological-superhero epic, Mirai, on JioHotstar should have been a celebration. Instead, it’s gaining attention for all the wrong reasons. Viewers are flooding social media with angry complaints, citing numerous frustrating issues such as poor video quality, glitchy streaming, and an overwhelming barrage of ads for non-premium users.
Despite a limited budget of INR 60 crores, Mirai was praised for its VFX and cinematic grandeur during its theatrical run. However, its OTT premiere seems to have been spoiled, thanks to JioHotstar!
The most common user complaint is the lack of “Asli 4K” video quality for the Teja Sajja starrer, which is quite shocking, especially for a big movie like Mirai. The absence of a consistent, high-bitrate 4K option for a major theatrical release is particularly upsetting for those expecting a true home-cinema experience.
Furthermore, there are complaints about glitchy streaming (including frequent buffering and freezing). On top of that, the bombardment of ads for non-premium users is another big issue.
For non-premium users, Mirai reportedly comes with nearly 15 ad slots, each containing three consecutive 15-to-20-second advertisements. This means a viewer is potentially forced to endure up to 45 ads, or around 7 to 9 minutes of advertising, throughout the course of the movie.
While some ads are expected for non-premium subscriptions, this aggressive, relentless frequency of ads shatters narrative immersion, effectively turning a blockbuster movie into a disjointed, ad-brimmed disappointment.
Another major complaint from the viewers is the removal of the hit song “Vibe Undhi Baby” and the movie’s shorter runtime.
This is not the first time JioHotstar has disappointed viewers with big releases. The time has come for a “premium” streaming service like JioHotstar to address its core issues, including stability, resolution, and ad density. Otherwise, major releases like Mirai will continue to generate more consumer fury than acclaim. Stay tuned for more updates.
Here are some of the complaints from viewers regarding Mirai’s release on JioHotstar.