Junior on OTT: Here’s why Kireeti Reddy-led film’s streaming is delayed

There was a lot of speculation about the OTT release of debutant Kireeti Reddy’s bilingual launchpad, Junior, and just when there was official news and a date in sight, there came a postponement. After weeks of rumours that the film was headed to Amazon Prime Video, it was announced that it would be on multiple platforms. The Kannada version was going to Namma Flix and Telugu to aha, with September 22 the determined date. But the film did not drop on either platform.

When OTTplay checked in with a spokesperson from Namma Flix, it was said that the delay occurred as the film had to be sent to be censored yet again and that the platform was hopeful of streaming the film on September 30. But why does a film that had a theatrical run earlier need to be censored again? A source tells us that the there is a shot in the film in which an erroneous map of India was shown, which has now been corrected and, hence, the requirement of a renewed censor process.

It is also being said that the initial plan was to release the Kannada and Telugu versions on Namma Flix and aha, respectively, on September 22, with Amazon Prime Video also joining a week later. The current delay is said to also facilitate a simultaneous outing on all platforms.

Also read: Ahead of Junior’s OTT outing, here’s how much Kireeti Reddy’s debut film made in theatres 

Directed by Radhakrishna Reddy, who’d made the Kannada film Mayabazar 2016 earlier, Junior was marketed as a Kannada original film, with the likes of V Ravichandran, Sudharani, Achyuth Kumar, also on the cast, however, it did not work for audiences in Karnataka, while the Telugu version fared a lot better. Kireeti was paired with Sreeleela in the film, while Genelia Deshmukh was also a part of it in a pivotal role.

The film revolved around Abhi (Kireeti), whose singular goal in life is to make memories, but in a cruel twist of fate, he is wiped out of memory for a near-and-dear one. Kireeti received widespread praise for his performance in the film, but the overall box office performance was far from satisfactory, failing to recover its budget.

FAQs

Q. Who is Kireeti Reddy?

A. Kireeti Reddy is the son of Ballari-based politician and mining baron, Gaali Janardhan Reddy.

Q. Is Junior a hit?

A. Junior is said to have been made at a budget of Rs 25 crore, with trackers estimating that it made around Rs11 cr in theatrical revenue. While the Telugu-Kannada bilingual was not a box office success, Kireeti received praise for his efforts in the film.