Kangana Ranaut's newly produced film to stream on Amazon Prime from June 23rd

The film "Tiku Weds Sheru," produced by Kangana Ranaut and featuring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, is set to make its debut exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on June 23rd. While movie theatres in India may be operating at maximum capacity, the chances for small and medium-budget films to thrive at the box office are diminishing. As a result, these films are increasingly opting to release on streaming platforms.

Shifting dynamics
In recent months, notable films such as Alia Bhatt's "Darlings," Mohanlal's "12th Man," and Siddharth Malhotra's "Mission Majnu," originally intended for theatrical release, have made the decision to premiere on digital platforms instead.

Producers have made this decision in response to the realisation that only big-budget, blockbuster films are succeeding at the box office. This is further emphasised by the underwhelming performance of recent movies like "An Action Hero," "Gumraah," and "Kuttey," among others, which failed to attract audiences to theatres.


Small, medium-budget films opt for streaming release amidst box office challenges
Film experts suggest that many of these movies targeting specific urban markets have come to the realisation that achieving significant box office success will be challenging. Even a slight uncertainty regarding the film's reception in theatres prompts them to opt for direct release on OTT platforms.

According to trade experts, a film like Karan Johar's "Gehraiyaan," starring Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, and Ananya Pandey, which revolves around love and relationships, serves as a prime example of a wise decision to not rely solely on box office figures. The film premiered on Amazon Prime Video last year, offering a successful alternative platform for its release.

In recent months, several medium-budget films in Hindi, lacking large-scale action or grandeur, have struggled at the box office despite featuring popular stars. Films like Shahid Kapoor's "Jersey" (earning Rs. 19.68 crore), Ajay Devgn's "Runway 34" (earning Rs. 32.96 crore), Tiger Shroff's "Heropanti 2" (earning Rs. 24.45 crore), Ranveer Singh's "Jayeshbhai Jordaar" (earning Rs. 15.59 crore), and Ayushmann Khurrana's "Anek" (earning Rs. 8 crore) are notable examples. The disappointing box office performance of Kangana Ranaut's "Dhaakad," which earned less than Rs. 3 crore, has also made it challenging to secure post-theatrical OTT deals, with streaming platforms showing no interest in acquiring the film, as noted by trade experts.