Did The Devil’s production delay scuttle its digital and satellite deal?
Challenging Star Darshan’s film The Devil released in theatres on December 11 and did not have digital or satellite partners listed in its title credits
Last Updated: 09.18 AM, Dec 13, 2025
The expectation with star-led films is that a good chunk of their budget is recovered pre-release with post-theatrical satellite and digital rights in the bag. In the case of Challenging Star Darshan’s latest, The Devil, though, that’s not been the case; or at least it was earlier, but the deal was cancelled. When the film came out on December 11, digital and satellite partners were not listed as part of the title credits.
OTT and satellite deal cancellation reason for hiked ticket rates of The Devil?
According to a source close to the team, in early 2024, Zee Network, which had picked up the Challenging Star's last hit Kaatera, paid the makers of The Devil a sizeable amount to secure both the satellite and digital rights of the film. At the time, the film was meant to be a December 2024 theatrical release, but then circumstances changed when Darshan was arrested in connection with the Renukaswamy murder case. Production was stalled and there was uncertainty about if and when they would be able to resume shooting and bring the film to theatres. Subsequently, the deal with Zee was called off, says the source.
Also read: The Devil movie review: Darshan vs Darshan in outdated snooze-fest tale of power and love
This is also why The Devil’s opening day ticket rates were priced between Rs 350 and Rs 1,200 across single screens and multiplexes. In fact, the lower range was available at very few halls, with the average ticket price at most going at Rs 600-700 per ticket. This meant that the film opened with a whopping Rs 13.8 cr on Day 1, as per official figures released by the banner. Independent tracker sacnilk, though, pegged it at around Rs 11.75 cr.
Day 2 figures are yet to drop from official channels, but sacnilk reckons that it dropped to about a third of Day 1. The trend on ticket aggregator sites does not look very encouraging for the film, especially since the word is that Prakash Veer’s film is outdated and does not even satisfy die-hard fans of the actor. The film’s production budget is said to have gone up to Rs 50-60 cr due to the delay in bringing it to theatres. In fact, the decision to release the film in the actor’s absence was to prevent further losses.
The Devil FAQs
Q. What was Darshan Thoogudeepa's last release?
A. Darshan Thoogudeepa was last seen onscreen in 2023's Kaatera , which is available on Z5 (via OTTplay Premium also).
Q. What is Darshan's new film?
A. Darshan's new film is The Devil, which has him reuniting with Tarak maker Prakash Veer. The film had been announced as a December 12, 2025 release, but was then advanced by a day. The film has released in the actor's absence, as he is currently in jail in connection with the Renukaswamy murder case.
Q. List the cast of The Devil
A. The Devil is led by Darshan Thoogudeepa, who is paired with Rachana Rai. The film also stars Mahesh Manjrekar, Achyuth Kumar, Vinay Gowda, Chandu B Gowda, among many others.