In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the film industry has seen a decline in theater revenues. As a result, producers are increasingly reliant on income from non-theatrical sources and the sale of Hindi rights. However, an unexpected downturn in both the Hindi and digital markets has thrown the industry into a crisis. This downturn is affecting movies of all sizes, irrespective of their scale.
Even a highly anticipated project featuring the popular Family Star, produced by the prominent Dil Raju and starring Vijay Devarakonda, is facing challenges. In the digital realm, giants like Amazon and Netflix are aggressively acquiring movies, but they appear to be disinterested in securing the rights to Family Star. Netflix has already acquired the rights for ‘Gunturkaaram’ among the Sankranti releases. Family Star is set to release shortly after. Both films are expected to premiere on OTT platforms within four weeks of their theatrical release. It doesn’t make financial sense for Netflix to acquire ‘Gunturkaaram’ at a high cost and then invest further in Family Star, only to release them simultaneously. Consequently, Netflix has not expressed interest in Family Star.
Amazon Prime has secured the rights for Venkatesh’s ‘Saindhav,’ and even they face challenges in buying Family Star and releasing it four weeks later. As of now, Family Star’s digital rights remain unsold, which is surprising given the film’s star power with Vijay and the backing of a heavyweight producer like Dil Raju. Despite this setback, Dil Raju is determined to ensure that Family Star is not missed during the Sankranti season, even if its digital rights remain unsold.