Rajinikanth and Lokesh Kanagaraj’s action drama Coolie earned nearly Rs. 500 crores gross at the ticket windows. Initially, many expected the film to touch Rs. 1000 crores, but mixed reviews slowed down its run. The movie will be available for streaming on Prime Video from September 11.
A four-week theatrical window is common for South Indian films, including big-ticket entertainers. However, the backlash is more about the timing of Coolie’s OTT announcement. It’s been just three weeks since the film hit the big screens, and with the digital premiere date announced sooner than expected, people may prefer waiting for OTT release which could further dent the collections this weekend
Already, the four-week theatrical window is hurting footfalls significantly. If this practice of early OTT announcements continues, theatres might lose a good chunk of their audience. With expensive ticket rates and faster digital arrivals, the theatrical run is already down to barely two or three weeks. If OTT platforms keep announcing dates this early, we may soon see theatrical runs shrink to a week.