The word is out. Akshay Kumar’s Laxmmi Bomb will not go the Gulabo Sitabo way. Not just yet! In other words, the Akshay Kumar starrer will not premiere on an OTT platform.
A little bird tells us that the film, which is jointly produced by Disney-Fox, Akshay Kumar, Tusshar Kapoor and Shabina Khan, will not be finalised for an OTT premiere till the lockdown is lifted. In other words, the producers will weigh the pros and cons of going directly on an OTT platform by bypassing theatrical release on the one hand and going the traditional route of theatrical release prior to the OTT release. What this means is, they will assess whether people are coming to the cinemas once they reopen after the lockdown is lifted. If there are audiences willing to return to the cinemas in large numbers soon after cinemas reopen in India, the producers might adopt the usual route of theatrical release followed by digital/satellite release after an 8-week gap. But if the public, scared about contracting COVID-19 in the weeks/months to come, refrain from frequenting cinemas in large numbers after they reopen, the producers may take the OTT premiere route.
Frankly, the decision will not be difficult to take in the case of the Akshay Kumar starrer if only because the presenter is Disney-Fox and, therefore, the OTT platform one is talking about for premiering the film will have to be Disney+. In a way, the producers have to decide whether to premiere it on their own digital platform or to go in for theatrical release.
Rumours have been circulating in trade and media circles that the producers have finally decided to premiere Laxmmi Bomb on an OTT platform. The wilder rumours are also mentioning a price for the OTT rights, received by the producers. Of course, these rumours are baseless as no decision has been taken about the premiere release so far. And in the case of Laxmmi Bomb, the question of discussing the price may be more hypothetical than anything else because the producer is Disney and the OTT platform, if at all, will also be Disney+.