The team behind Varanasi, the globe-trotting adventure directed by Rajamouli and starring Mahesh Babu and Priyanka Chopra, is reportedly finding it difficult to close its OTT deal.
While Netflix has been the frontrunner to acquire the streaming rights from the beginning, the platform is said to be unwilling to match the price quoted by the makers.
Earlier this week, Monika Shergill, Vice President of Content at Netflix India, declined to comment on whether Netflix would acquire Varanasi.
Meanwhile, Rajamouli is currently in France promoting the animated series Baahubali: The Eternal War.
Amid these developments, actor Prithviraj Sukumaran recently praised Rajamouli’s vision and filmmaking in an interview, describing the scale of Varanasi as something for which “big is an understatement.”
The film’s team and fan circles quickly amplified the statement across social media, further fuelling the hype.
However, the market today is vastly different from what it was a few years ago.
No matter how aggressively production houses and fan groups promote a film online, distributors and streaming platforms are increasingly cautious about paying exorbitant sums or taking unnecessary risks.
Yet, sections of the media continue to publish exaggerated claims.
In one such example, the Eenadu website reported that Priyanka Chopra revealed Varanasi would release in 200 languages. Yes, 200 languages.
Such outlandish claims do little to help the film and instead raise questions about the credibility of those promoting them.
The reality is that Rajamouli and his team are still working to finalise key business deals, particularly OTT and overseas distribution agreements.
While the overseas deal is expected to be closed soon, industry sources indicate that the valuation may fall well short of the astronomical figures being circulated in promotional narratives.
