Finally, Tollywood Discusses Theatre-Saving OTT Window!

Around 40 Exhibitors from both the Telugu States convened in Hyderabad the other day and came to a decision that the theaters can not survive without restricting films from going to OTT in eight weeks after the theatrical release.

They put forth this proposal in the Executive Committee meeting of the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce today.

The Producers who are part of the EC have agreed to the proposal. Suresh Babu, Suniel Narang, Dil Raju, and Tagore Madhu were among those attended.

The EC decided that a committee will be formed and it will have negotiations with the Producers Council and Active Producers Guild to arrive at consensus.

Once a decision is taken, a cut-off date will be set and those agreements made before the date and films that are more than 60% completed will only be allowed to break the rule and the remaining films should strictly follow the ‘8 Weeks OTT Window Rule’.

This rule is already enforced in the North because PVR-INOX Chain refuses to screen the films without 8 Weeks OTT Window. But then, the same chain do not enforce the rule here because they are a minority.

The Problem in Tollywood is some big exhibitors and lease owners are also the producers who depend on OTT money to make films.

The Cut-Off date should be carefully dealt because immediately after COVID when the industry brought ‘No Direct OTT’ rule, several producers tried to break it using back-dated agreements.