Marco Mollywood most violent action film released on Christmas and emerged as a huge blockbuster The film performed decently in Telugu and managed to pull the audience well enough. However it was a big success in Hindi with double digit collections. Despite the makers confidence that the film would gain wider reach and appreciation after its OTT release the response from the Telugu audience has been quite cold.
The film made its OTT premiere on Sony Liv on 14th February in Telugu Tamil Kannada and Malayalam with English subtitles but unfortunately it could not create a huge impact. The lukewarm response to Marco OTT release in Telugu may have a significant impact on Marco 2 which is officially announced. The film was also available is Telugu on Aha OTT also. But still did not get desired viewership. Excessive violence might be the reason for poor reception as most of OTT viewers in Telugu are families.
However the Hindi version of the film which started streaming on Prime Video is expected to receive a good response given its theatrical performance. If the Hindi version manages to get a positive reception on OTT it will be great news for Marco 2 as Hindi is the biggest market after Malayalam. The success of the prequel and positive reception in Hindi would lead to Marco 2 being shot on a grander scale.
The OTT performance of regional films like Marco is crucial in determining their reach and appreciation beyond their native markets. While Marco OTT release in Telugu may not have created the expected impact its performance in Hindi and other languages will be closely watched. The success of regional films on OTT platforms can pave the way for more collaborations and cross overs between industries.