After weeks of speculations, it has been confirmed that Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana’s much-awaited dramedy Gulabo Sitabo will release directly on Amazon Prime Video worldwide on 12th June, across 200 countries.
The movie, helmed by acclaimed filmmaker Shoojit Sircar, was earlier scheduled to enter theatres in the month of April, but the makers had to defer its theatrical release due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.
Vijay Subramaniam, director and head, content, Amazon Prime Video, India, says, “At Amazon we are listening to our customers, and working backwards from there. Gulabo Sitabo is one of the most anticipated films of the year. It is the first step in our endeavour to bring superior cinematic experiences to our customer’s doorstep.”
Director Shoojit Sircar, who reunites with Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana after Piku (2015) and Vicky Donor (2012) respectively, describes the decision to premiere the film directly on an OTT platform as the dawn of a new era for Indian entertainment.
After Gulabo Sitabo, several anticipated movies may follow suit and release directly on digital platforms. Rumours are rife that superstar Akshay Kumar’s horror comedy Laxmmi Bomb is likely to premiere directly on Disney+ Hotstar in June. An official announcement is awaited though.
Similarly, Netflix has reportedly acquired Dharma Productions’ Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, starring Janhvi Kapoor in the lead role. Dharma Productions’ another offering Shershaah is also expected to take the digital route.
Amazon Prime Video aims to continue acquiring big-ticket Bollywood films for direct to digital release. Another Bollywood acquisition expected to premiere directly on the streaming media giant is Vidya Balan and Sanya Malhotra-starrer Shakuntala Devi.
Dharma Productions scouts fresh faces after 500 auditions Getty Images 
