By: Mohnish Singh
Though theatres in India may have resumed operations after keeping their doors shut for months in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, the audience is yet to pour in huge numbers to set the cash registers jingling at the box-office. And hence, a number of filmmakers are still skeptical about releasing their films in cinemas.
According to reports, actor Arjun Kapoor’s next film Sardar & Grandson could forgo a theatrical release and premiere directly on a streaming media platform. Also starring Rakul Preet Singh in the lead role, Sardar & Grandson was one of the first few films which went on floors after the government of India eased the Coronavirus-related restrictions across the country.
We hear that the makers of the coming-of-age, cross-border film are planning to release the film directly online in January 2021. “They want to play it safe because the budget of this film is around 30 crore which is higher than Indoo Ki Jawani. Nikkhil Advani, John Abraham, and Bhushan Kumar who have jointly produced this film have decided to release it on OTT because that gives them the better return of investment,” a source in the know informs a leading publication.
The source goes on to add, “However, with OTT premiere the producers have received a fixed amount eliminating the chances of losses with a theatrical release. They have sold this film at a price that not only recovers the investment but also makes a good profit which is doubtful with a big-screen release in the current situation when cinemas running with only 50% capacity.”
Directed by Kaashvie Nair, Sardar & Grandson also features Kumud Mishra and Neena Gupta in pivotal roles. John Abraham and Aditi Rao Hydari also feature in a cameo.
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Alia Bhatt at the Red Sea Film Festival where she spoke about the scale of Alpha Getty Images 
