 "Why is Rishab Shetty's 'Kantara: Chapter 1' releasing on OTT merely four weeks after theatrical release? Hombale Films says 'The agreement for this release window was...'")
Rishab Shetty and Rukmini Vasanth starrer Kantara: Chapter 1 continues to shatter the box office records across the country and globe. While the Hindi version is set to enter the Rs 200 crore club, the epic-mythology action drama has already crossed the Rs 400 crore mark (across all languages) at the domestic box office.
Talking about its 2nd Saturday business, Kantara: Chapter 1 has beaten biggies like Shah Rukh Khan starrer Pathaan, Jawan, Saiyaara, Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal and Sunny Deol’s Gadar 2. But fans are appalled that it’s coming out on OTT on October 30, merely four weeks after its release. And there seems to be a reason for the same.
Hombale Films issues statement
Hombale Films’ Chaluve Gowda told India Today, “Only the South language (Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, and Malayalam) versions of the film will release on OTT right now, not the Hindi version. The Hindi version will come after eight weeks. The agreement for this release window was actually done three years ago, so it’s more of an obligation on our part. Back then, the standard practice was different.”
He added, “Most South films now follow a four-week window — some run longer, while others wrap up within three to four weeks. Every film has its own agreement and timeline. Before COVID, it used to be eight weeks for all films. Post-COVID, even big releases like Coolie are coming on OTT after four weeks across all languages, including Hindi. So, it’s always decided on a case-by-case basis, depending on what works at that point in time.”
Apart from fans, Kantara: Chapter 1 has garnered praise from celebrities like Suniel Shetty, Atlee, Riteish Deshmukh, Jr. NTR, Prabhas, Ram Gopal Varma, Sandeep Reddy Vanga, Nivin Pauly, Mammootty, Yash, Anupam Kher, Madhur Bhandarkar, and cricketers like Varun Chakravarty and KL Rahul, among others.
Directed by Rishab Shetty, the movie also features Rakesh Poojari, Jayaram and Gulshan Devaiah in key roles. It is bankrolled by Hombale Films.