Master stars Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi in the lead roles.
Producer Xavier Britto has made it crystal clear that there is no possibility of releasing Vijay’s upcoming film Master directly on a streaming platform. He noted given Master is a big-budget movie, it is not a viable option to take the OTT route.
“Vijay is very clear about it. He wants Master to release only when theaters reopen. It could be this Diwali or next Pongal,” Xavier Britto said in an interview with Vikatan.
Master was supposed to hit screens in April, but the release was postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus outbreak. While some mid-budget Tamil movies opted for a digital release as there is no telling when theaters will reopen for business, makers of other big-budget movies are determined to wait out the storm.
According to trade experts, big-budget movies can only recover about 30 per cent of their cost through deals with streaming platforms.
Meanwhile, when the dust settles and theaters reopen, it is films like Vijay’s Master which will play a major role in getting people back to cinema halls.
Master is directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, who is just two films old (Managaram, Kaithi). He pulled off a casting coup of sorts by roping in Vijay Sethupathi to play the main antagonist. The film also stars Malavika Mohanan, Arjun Das, Andrea Jeremiah and Shanthanu Bhagyaraj.