HYDERABAD: The Telangana Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) has come up with a demand regarding the release of films on OTT platforms. Earlier in July, the TFCC has urged the producers of Telugu cinema to not skip theatrical releases and defer a direct OTT release until October.
The TFCC, along with Telangana Theatre Owners Association, have expressed their disappointment over rushed digital releases. They also slammed the makers of Nani-starrer Tuck Jagadish for opting for a direct digital release on September 10, and have requested them to avert a clash with Love Story, which is slated for a theatrical release on the same day.
“We urged the Telugu film producers to not opt for direct OTT release until October. However, the producers of Tuck Jagadish have decided to skip the theatrical release and are going ahead with a direct digital release. We have appraised them over how the digital releases are impacting the theatre business and putting many lives at stake. We have decided to release Love Story in theatres on September 10. However, we have learnt that Tuck Jagadish is also premiering on the same day on Amazon Prime Video. While we are not against OTT platforms, we request the makers of Tuck Jagadish to consider releasing their film in theatres or postpone the release to a later date to avert a clash with Love Story as the OTT releases may eat into the revenues generated theatres,” said Sunil Narang, secretary of Telangana Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC).
Pointing to Nani’s speech at the pre-release event of Thimmarusu, Sridhar, the vice-president of TFCC stated that the producers will survive only if theatres survive. “Nani stated that watching films in theatres is our culture. But, he is now humbly accepting his producers’ decision to release Tuck Jagadish on the OTT platform. The heroism and fanfare will only be visible in theatres, not on OTTs,” he added.