Coronavirus pandemic is changing the dynamics of all industries and the film industry is no different. OTTs are becoming the alternate source for film releases with theatres shut down completely. Even among OTTs, local OTTs are unable to compete with the international OTTs. Amazon, Netflix, and others are pressurizing producers to release their films by offering attractive amounts.
Under these circumstances even as Tollywood producers are getting tempted with their offers under the testing times, they are getting scared as top stars are threatening and blackmailing them that if they release their films in OTTs, they would snap their ties with them.
Amazon Prime, Netflix, Sun Next, Zee5, Aha, Hot Star are the major players who show interest in Tollywood films. Amazon Prime is pressurizing producers in the name of Direct to OTT releases offering fancy amounts. Aha tried to ape Amazon Prime by coming with their own Direct OTT release slot. However, Tollywood producers are not paying any attention. Only a few filmmakers who couldn't release their films in theatres for years are showing interest in Aha OTT.
Amazon Prime till now did not release a straight Telugu film till now. Even the Penguin film released is a dubbed one. According to Amazon, though many producers are showing interest in having their films released on its OTT, they are backing off due to Tollywood star heroes. They say stars are feeling insecure that they would lose their market due to direct OTT release and so threatening producers that if they go for OTT release, they should forget their relations with them.
Apart from it, producers are not going for OTT releases as almost all of them have given the nontheatrical rights to the stars. If they break the agreement, the producers should pay some amount to the stars. That is the reason why producers are waiting for the release of their films in theatres despite getting delayed.
It is also coming out that OTTs are planning to reduce the digital rights values of those films whose producers do not sign their tempting deals and instead prefer theatre releases. All in all producers are getting crushed between OTTs and top stars.