Kamal Haasan's Film Faces Controversy, Shifts OTT Strategies
The film's performance has significant implications for the industry, highlighting the need for a more nuanced approach to OTT strategies, one that takes into account the complexities of theatrical release and audience expectations, as seen in the case of Kamal Haasan's Thug Life, which has sparked controversy and shifted OTT strategies.
The film industry is reevaluating its OTT strategies, with theatrical performance now playing a crucial role in determining streaming timelines, as seen in the case of Kamal Haasan's latest film, Thug Life, which has been banned in Karnataka due to controversy.
The ban in Karnataka has resulted in a potential loss of 35-40 crores for the film, which has a production budget of INR 200 crores. Despite this, the film has earned INR 49.81 crores in India and INR 90.31 crores globally. The cast's fees, including Trisha Krishnan's reported tripled fee compared to her previous film, have also been a subject of interest. Kamal Haasan and the producers have reportedly taken a profit cut, highlighting the film's commercial challenges.
Legendary cinematographer Ravi K Chandran attributes the film's lukewarm response to audience expectations, stating that people expected a film like Nayakan, a classic drama, rather than an action film from Mani and Kamal Haasan. Chandran praises the film's cinematography, which he achieved by using anamorphic and spherical lenses, and notes that the film's look is enhanced by its theatrical release on an IMAX screen.
The evolving OTT window calculus reveals that a film's theatrical success is the ultimate currency, with every strategy now hinging on real performance metrics. Aamir Khan's decision to prioritize theatrical release for his next film, 'Sitaare Zameen Par', reflects an industry-wide lesson, where high stakes revenue gaps lost due to early OTT can become catastrophic. This shift in strategy is also evident in Netflix's renegotiated deal with 'Thug Life', which saw the film's initial 8-week theatrical exclusivity slashed to 4 weeks.
As the film industry continues to navigate the complexities of OTT strategies, Kamal Haasan's Thug Life serves as a prime example of the challenges and opportunities that arise from the intersection of theatrical performance and streaming timelines. With the film's commercial fate still uncertain, one thing is clear: the future of OTT strategies will be dictated by the success of films at the box office.