This December and Sankranthi, the Telugu film industry will see nearly half a dozen major releases hitting theaters.
The lineup includes Nandamuri Balakrishna’s Akhanda 2, Prabhas’ The Raja Saab, Chiranjeevi’s Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu, Anaganaga Oka Raju, and Ravi Teja – Kishore Tirumala’s untitled film.
With barely three months left for these releases, except for one, most of them are yet to close their OTT deals.
Although OTT platforms have initiated talks for pan-Indian projects like “Akhanda 2” and “The Raja Saab,” the deals are still pending.
The main reason is the wide gap between what producers are demanding and what streaming companies are willing to pay.
OTT platforms are not only asking for hefty price reductions but also laying down several conditions.
One major condition is that producers must ensure a certain level of box office gross before the film is made available on OTT.
“Akhanda 2,” the sequel to the blockbuster Akhanda, which was a big success on Hotstar, has almost closed its deal with Netflix. However, the makers had to agree to a lower price and accept specific terms.
JioHotstar, which streamed the first part, declined to offer a high price, while Amazon turned down the proposal completely. Netflix has laid out multiple conditions, and the deal is nearing finalization.
Similarly, the OTT deal for “The Raja Saab” remains open. The production company is reportedly expecting around ₹200 to ₹250 crore in non-theatrical revenue, but such numbers are no longer realistic in the current OTT market. Streaming platforms are unwilling to pay that kind of money, leaving the deal hanging.
Chiranjeevi’s “Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu,” directed by Anil Ravipudi, is facing the same challenge. Although Anil’s previous film Sankranthiki Vasthunam was a roaring success and quickly bagged its OTT deal, things have changed now. ZEE5, which acquired the rights for Sankranthiki Vasthunam, is in discussions but hasn’t closed the deal yet.
On the other hand, “Anaganaga Oka Raju” managed to secure a deal with Netflix. The reason is that its production house, Sithara Entertainments, had previously signed a package deal with the streaming platform, which included multiple films.
