Did Amazon Prime Video really pay mega bucks for Dhananjaya’s Gurudev Hoysala? Netizens debate

Did Amazon Prime Video really pay Rs 7.5 crore to acquire the streaming rights of Daali Dhananjaya’s milestone 25th film? That was the question netizens were debating today ahead of the release of the actor’s Gurudev Hoysala. The film, produced by KRG Studios, is Dhananjaya’s second collaboration with them and is coming to theatres on March 30, taking on the challenge posed by big-ticket movies like Nani’s Dasara and Ajay Devgn’s Bholaa.

Gurudev Hoysala, which sees Dhananjaya return to khaki in an action-packed cop caper, was sold to Amazon Prime Video even before its theatrical release and while there is no confirmation about the official amount paid, it is said that the deal is favourable to the makers, as KRG Studios, and, by extension, Hombale Films, have a good rapport with the streamer. Netizens have been debating if the amount could really be as high as Rs 7.5 crore and while most are not entirely convinced, the general consensus is that the team would have, most likely, struck a deal that will be a career best for the actor. The non-theatrical rights of Gurudev Hoysala alone have more or less covered the budget already, say industry trackers. As for Gurudev Hoysala’s possible streaming date, it is speculated that it will be sometime in May only.

Gurudev Hoysala is Dhananjaya’s full-fledged action-drama, a genre that he intends to stick to for the foreseeable future, given that his experiments with genres and roles in 2022 did not exactly pan out in his favour. The actor will next be seen in Satyedev’s 26th, Zebra, which is Dhananjaya’s 26th as well, a film that he says is special. Following that he will return to the KRG Studios camp for his third film with the banner. Called Uttarakaanda, this will reunite him with Rathnan Prapancha maker Rohit Padaki. A tale about the gangs of north Karnataka, Uttarakaanda will see Ramya returning to acting. Dhananjaya is yet to announce any new signings.