Tehran: John Abraham and Manushi Chhillar's geopolitical thriller to have direct-to-OTT release?

John Abraham's geopolitical action thriller Tehran is reportedly aiming for a digital release rather than a theatrical one, following much anticipation and conjecture around the film's big-screen debut. The film has reportedly found a home on streaming platform ZEE5 (OTTplay Premium), and it is produced by Dinesh Vijan's Maddock Films. Manushi Chhillar plays a crucial role in the film as well.

Final negotiations underway for ZEE5 premiere

The agreement is reportedly still in the final stages of negotiation, according to Bollywood Hungama. The source informed the entertainment portal, "In all probability, the film is expected to premiere on ZEE5. A clearer picture on this front will emerge in a week’s time or 10 days. Also, reports claim that it’ll have a release on OTT on August 15. The date is still not locked. Again, this decision will be taken soon, after which the makers will make an official announcement."

Shot in 2022 in Glasgow, Mumbai, and Delhi, the action thriller helmed by Arun Gopalan is based on actual occurrences. Madhurima Tuli is also a part of the cast, and the producers are Dinesh Vijan of Maddock Films, Sandeep Leyzell of Bake My Cake Films, and Shobhna Yadav.

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Why OTT makes more sense

"Tehran is a no-nonsense geopolitical thriller and made on the lines of an international film," an industry insider explained, explaining the film's decision to go straight to digital rather than theatres. They further said, "It has a runtime of less than two hours and moreover, it's not just a Hindi language film. To maintain authenticity, certain dialogues are also in Farsi and English. Hence, the makers realised that it would suit the OTT medium more."

What makes Tehran so special is that it is John Abraham's first time starring in an OTT original feature film. The actor had thus far avoided going the digital road, in contrast to many of his peers. During the pandemic, his producing endeavour, Sardar Ka Grandson (2021), was released directly on Netflix. The film included Arjun Kapoor, Rakul Preet Singh, and Neena Gupta; however, he only had a cameo in it.

Multiple delays

January 25, 2023 was the original scheduled release date for Tehran in theatres. On the other hand, Pathaan—a high-profile action extravaganza featuring Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, and John himself—was released on the same day and became a box office smash, so that idea was scrapped. There were rumblings in 2023 about a May release for Tehran, but it as well never came to fruition.

Given recent events, the makers are likely to make a formal statement very soon. If everything goes as planned, the release of Tehran could coincide with the Indian Independence Day OTT releases.