Kantara on OTT: Delayed again? Or a last-minute surprise announcement in store?

Thousands of Indians and those of the diaspora have got their eyes fixed on only one thing right now: Kantara's OTT release.

The all-important announcement, interestingly, has attracted more scrutiny and public encore than the film's theatrical release which goes on to show the prominence it has gained during the past 50-odd days. Rishab Shetty's film has already proven its might at the box office by grossing more than Rs. 400 crores, becoming only the second Kannada film in history to do so, and in the same vein, has also set an almost unsurpassable record with respect to the footfalls: as of November 11, the film had more than 1 crore footfalls to its name. And yet, one ardently awaits the digital premiere of the film because such is its lure at the moment.

Although the makers of the film have disclosed very little information regarding Kantara's OTT release, speculations have been rife for quite some time that the film will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on November 24. This isn't the only date that the internet has thrown up over the past few weeks but with many big theatrical successes (RRR, Brahmastra, to name few) opting for an 8-week gap between theatrical and OTT releases, November 24 seems like the perfect fit for Rishab Shetty & Co. as well - however, as of November 23, there are still no signs of any official confirmation and, needless to say, social media is buzzing restlessly at the moment.

From unverified updates to queries put forth to both Hombale Films and Amazon Prime, netizens are trying every bit to extract information on the OTT premiere. "It could be a last-minute update," reckon a few as the countdown to November 24 continues but considering that Kantara is one of the most sought-after titles in the slate of upcoming OTT releases, there is very little scope for tentativeness. While the eleventh-hour announcement does sound enticing and precariously fun, the possibility of the wait for Kantara to premiere on OTT is likely to grow longer.

Although Kantara is nearing the end of its theatrical run, one could presume that the off-the-record negotiation between the team and Kerala-based band Thaikkudam Bridge is the principal cause for the delay in the digital premiere. Only a few days ago, the makers of Kantara were obligated to remove the Varaha Roopam song from YouTube and other streaming platforms over the plagiarism issue but given that the song is mighty important to the narrative of the film, it is likely that Hombale Films is striving hard to retain the best version for OTT as well.