Netflix shells out whopping Rs. 70 cr to acquire Janhvi Kapoor starrer Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl
Bollywood Hungama News Network
Wed Jun 24 13:25:19 IST
The Coronavirus pandemic that has sent the world into a lockdown and has caused economies to spiral out of control. Back home in India, the film industry has taken a massive hit with film production and theatres being shut down. However, filmmakers are now looking at various OTT platforms to release their ventures without delay. After the Amitabh Bachchan – Ayushmann Khurrana starrer Gulabo Sitabo was released on a streaming site, the Janhvi Kapoor starrer Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl is the next big ticket Bollywood entertainer to take this route. Interestingly, this strategy of opting for an OTT release over a conventional theatrical release seems to be paying off for the filmmakers. In fact, reports suggest that Netflix has shelled out a staggering Rs. 70 cr to acquire the Janhvi Kapoor starrer.
Talking about the same a well-placed industry source says, “Gulabo Sitabo was acquired for around Rs. 65 cr, and when it comes to the Janhvi Kapoor film, Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl has been one of the most talked about and keenly anticipated releases of 2020. Now given the hype surrounding the film, and the fact that it is sure to tug the patriotic stings within your heart, it comes as no surprise that Netflix coughed up Rs. 70 cr to acquire the venture.” Further talking about how profitable this sale was to the makers of the film, the source continues, “Like in the case of Gulabo Sitabo, the sum paid by the OTT platform is much higher than the production value. As for Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, the cost of production is estimated to be between Rs. 25-30 cr, as against the Rs. 70 cr being earned from its sale. Now thanks to this, Karan Johar stands to make a neat profit even before the film hits screens.”
While the source clearly states that filmmakers are making the best use of OTT platforms to gain an upper hand when it comes to earning from the sale of a film’s digital rights, it still remains to be seen whether OTT platforms like Netflix and Amazon revise their acquisition strategies’ during the pandemic.
Pushpa Impossible
3