What causes the delay in films getting an OTT release date after theatrical outing?

Enough has been said and debated about the ideal gap between a film’s theatrical and OTT release, and after much deliberation, exhibitors and producers agreed upon an eight-week window last year.

Even so, there are films that, for one reason or the other, seem to be struggling to get a date for their OTT release. As fans wait for the controversial but also theatrically successful The Kerala Story to drop on streaming, the reason behind the delay in Nandita Das’ critically acclaimed Zwigato, (which came out in March this year) releasing on the web is not clear yet. The buddy drama Jahaan Chaar Yaar (20220 and the slice-of-life comedy Shiv Shastri Balboa, which released in February, faced a significant delay, with the latter only recently managing to find its way to a streaming platform.

We talk to concerned directors, actors and trade experts to understand the reason why some projects face so much delay in getting a digital release.

Adah Sharma, Actor, The Kerala Story

Only once a film is out of theatres, it can release on an OTT platform. Our film recently completed 50 days in theatres, so the delay in its digital release is obvious and understandable. However, there is an announcement on its way soon.

Girish Johar, Producer and trade expert

Producers have specific expectations regarding monetisation on streaming, which may not align with the platforms’ offerings. So, negotiations regarding these offerings might be a factor contributing to the delay of films like The Kerala Story and Zwigato. Additionally, the streaming platforms themselves might not be keen on acquiring these films for various reasons, but nothing has been confirmed yet.

Ajayan Venugopalam, Director, Shiv Shastri Balboa

There are several challenges faced by smaller films. For a film like Shiv Shastri Balboa, finding suitable screens and an audience was anyway a daunting task. OTT comes and says that your film ran in theatres for barely two weeks, so we don’t see it valued. So, there are films that encounter difficulty in getting their due recognition on digital platforms.

Atul Mohan, Trade Expert

The acquisition pattern for OTT platforms has changed significantly. Their interest now heavily relies on a film’s performance at the box office. While critically acclaimed films like Zwigato may not meet the producer’s price expectations, commercially successful films like The Kerala Story might be facing rejection due to concerns over the film’s content, particularly if it can potentially lead to legal issues for the platform.

Shahana Goswami, Actor, Zwigato

The delay in our film’s OTT release is both surprising and disheartening because I know fans are eagerly await to watch it on the web if they haven’t been able to watch it on the big screen when it released.