Akshay Kumar's Laxmmi Bomb and Salman Khan's Radhe may have missed its Eid date with the theatres due to the coronavirus pandemic. But the talks of them hitting an OTT platform are getting deafening. A Pinkvilla report states that Akshay Kumar and Kiaran Advani starrer has been sold to Disney Plus Hotstar for Rs 125 crore. We spoke to our Trade expert Girish Johar who feels that doesn't seem like the correct amount. Laxmmi Bomb Sold Digitally For Rs 125 Crore? Akshay Kumar Fans Demand Film’s Theatrical Release (Read Tweets)
"I feel this is just conjecture as there's no confirmation. If the makers do confirm, I am pretty much certain that the amount being circulated will not be the same. It's a big-ticket Akshay-Kiara movie and deserves to be in the theatres. It is the call of the producers. They have their own financial constraints. What I know officially is that the film still has portions to be shot. Post-production is also there as per my talks with the producers. They know what they are forgoing if they are going to the OTT with the film," Johar explains.
Continuing further, Johar said, "It's basically demand VS supply. It is not a formula. Whether the platform has the capacity to pay, it has to see whether the film fits their customer profile. For example, if the consumer profile of a platform is SEC A or A+ and if the film is massy, I don't think they will be a match. It is being used by the top 10 cities and premium households. Second, what is the category of the product? It's a masala entertainer catering to the masses but OTT's captive profile is upmarket. So there is a huge gap." Salman Khan’s Radhe, Ranveer Singh’s 83, Akshay Kumar’s Laxmmi Bomb: Here’s Why These Big-Budget Movies Won’t Be Releasing On OTT Platforms Anytime Soon
There's also the scare that needs to be factored in here. If cinemas do open in the near future, the audience could be skeptical to venture out. "You don't know whether the audience will come or not. That's why the producers might be thinking about the OTT route. The money clock is ticking. For instance, the theatres open in July and Laxmmi Bomb releases by the end of it. If people don't make it to the theatres due to the scare, the producers will lose there too. Angrezi Medium had to bear the brunt of the same." Johar explains.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 29, 2020 05:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).