Filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj’s latest production Penguin is not taking the traditional route of a theatrical release.
On location of Penguin; Karthik Subbaraj
Chennai: He says his film’s premiere on an OTT platform is somewhat unusual, but he doesn’t regret the decision. Many fans took to Twitter and posted that after Baahubali 2 and Saaho, Penguin grabbed the third spot in the “most viewed trailer on YouTube in 24 hours” list.
Asked if waiting for things (the lockdowns) to normalise would have been a better option for the film, Karthik said, “Before taking this decision, we had discussed the pros and cons. Theatrical release and OTT are different, but ultimately, we wanted the film to reach the audience. Any filmmaker would want more audience to watch the film. That is also happening in a big way. It’s going beyond borders, states, and countries. Many people are eagerly waiting for it to premiere on Amazon Prime. We don’t regret it.”
He said he was concerned about how to keep a track of the audience’s reactions though. “When it’s a theatrical release, we watch a show with the audience and we know how they are reacting to it. We get an idea. This is a completely different ballgame,” he said.
Asked if waiting for things (the lockdowns) to normalise would have been a better option for the film, Karthik said, “Before taking this decision, we had discussed the pros and cons. Theatrical release and OTT are different, but ultimately, we wanted the film to reach the audience. Any filmmaker would want more audience to watch the film. That is also happening in a big way. It’s going beyond borders, states, and countries. Many people are eagerly waiting for it to premiere on Amazon Prime. We don’t regret it.”
He said he was concerned about how to keep a track of the audience’s reactions though. “When it’s a theatrical release, we watch a show with the audience and we know how they are reacting to it. We get an idea. This is a completely different ballgame,” he said.