Megastar Chiranjeevi and Nandamuri Balakrishna, despite being in their late sixties, are still delivering blockbusters and drawing crowds to the theaters. At this age, they are playing main lead hero roles, which itself is a great achievement, and furthermore, they are delivering blockbusters.
While their theatrical business increased, their non-theatrical revenue is shrinking further. In recent times, OTT streaming companies have opted to reduce their expenditure on acquiring new releases. Therefore, streaming platforms are investing huge sums of money in movies that appeal to pan-Indian audiences or films that are rich in content.
Chiranjeevi and Balakrishna neither have pan-Indian appeal, especially since they lack appeal to the younger generation of audiences outside Telugu states. Hence, the OTT companies are refusing to pay the big money the producers are demanding.
Low amount for Daaku Maharaaj
Balakrishna’s “Daaku Maharaaj” encountered numerous challenges when negotiating the OTT deal. Sithara Entertainments, with a strong working relationship with Netflix, produced the film. The streaming platform purchased the entire slate of Sithara, which included upcoming films such as “Anaganaga Oka Raju,” “Kingdom,” and “Mad Square.” But to close the deal for “Daaku Maharaaj,” it took a lot of time, and it only bought it at a reduced price. The movie will now be streaming on Netflix on Feb 21st.
Vishwambhara is yet to close the deal
Similarly, Megastar Chiranjeevi’s upcoming fantasy flick, Vishwambhara, is yet to close an OTT deal. The production company is demanding Rs 80 crore, but the OTT companies are negotiating at Rs 50 crore. Hence, the film’s release has also been postponed.
