Why Has Leo Hindi Run Into A Roadblock With Multiplex Chains?

Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Leo is among the most anticipated films of 2023. But though the Vijay action thriller was initially promoted as a pan-Indian film, it has run into a roadblock, thanks to the Multiplex Association of India (MAI) taking a tough stance on the OTT release window of Hindi and dubbed-to-Hindi films. According to reports, the Hindi dubbed version of the film will not be released in multiplex chains like PVR-INOX and Cinepolis in the north Indian territory. The team of Leo is yet to make an official statement about this, but industry insiders confirmed to Film Companion that this is the case as of now. 

In July 2022, the MAI decided that they will not release any Hindi film that has an OTT release window of less than eight weeks. Over 60 percent of cinema halls in India are members of the MAI, and the association has been enforcing the rule, even for dubbed-to-Hindi films. The Hindi version of Nelson Dilipkumar’s Jailer (2023), for instance, wasn’t released in national multiplexes though it was released along with the Tamil version. The film emerged as a blockbuster, raking in Rs 397 crore in the Indian market according to an Ormax India report. It was second only to Gadar 2 among August releases and third among all 2023 releases so far.

Pankaj Jaysinh, CEO - Distribution and Film Services at UFO Moviez, said that the current scenario wasn’t benefitting anyone in the trade. UFO Moviez distributed Jailer (Hindi) in the north, and Jaysinh pointed out that the Rajinikanth film churned out substantial collections even in the fifth and sixth week of its release. “The OTT right is a fairly new right in the industry. There are always challenges when such new rights come up. But our main focus should be to collaborate and grow the pie,” said Jaysinh. “When the collections grow, there will be something for everyone in that.”

Jaysinh noted that Jailer was a superhit, and that it would have earned everyone in the trade more money had the Hindi version been screened in the multiplexes too. As it stands, Jailer (Hindi) was released in 400 screens in the northern region. “The multiplexes lost the revenue they would have earned had they screened the Hindi version. The audiences who wanted to watch the movie in that particular theatre lost out. The producer and the other stakeholders from the industry would have also lost some part of their potential revenue,” said Jaysinh.

Besides, he added, if the MAI wanted more people to go to theatres instead of waiting for the film’s release on OTT, such a move was pushing them to do the opposite. “You’re turning them away from theatres and telling them to wait for four weeks for the film to come on OTT,” he said. The MAI declined to comment on the issue when approached by Film Companion.

There are currently around 3,500 multiplex screens in India, with PVR-INOX and Cinepolis India being major players. In south India, however, the single screens still dominate over multiplexes – of the estimated 6,000 single screens in the country, over 50 percent are in the south. Multiplex penetration is the least in the south. Tamil producer Dhananjayan confirmed to Film Companion that the OTT release window for south Indian films is four weeks, with most films ending their theatrical run in three weeks. “The agreement is very clear. The eight-week rule is applicable only for Hindi and Hindi dubbed films. The national multiplexes will release the film in south Indian languages in the north, too, but not the Hindi version. This isn’t territory-bound, but language-specific,” said Dhananjayan.

According to unconfirmed reports, the OTT rights for Leo were sold to Netflix for a whopping Rs 125 crore, and the film will be out on the platform in four weeks. If south Indian filmmakers want the Hindi version of their films also to be released in national multiplexes, the only option currently is to negotiate with the OTT platforms and increase the release window to eight weeks. “It’s not that the release window cannot be increased, but the money offered by the OTT will be less. There is also a possibility that they might not be interested in taking a film if it’s an eight-week release window,” Dhananjayan said. 

The difference in the OTT release rule for Hindi, dubbed-to-Hindi films and south Indian language films means that southern industries have to decide if they’d rather strike a good deal with an OTT and release the film in four weeks, or go for the eight-week window and hope for a superlative performance of the dubbed version in the northern territory. With many southern films in recent times trying for pan-Indian success through dubbed versions, the MAI’s stance puts the southern industries in a dilemma.

Jaysinh said that the difference in the OTT release window clauses made no sense. “People throng theatres for 5 am shows of Tamil and Telugu films. Do you mean to say they are foolish and they don’t know that the film will come out on OTT in four weeks? Are we saying the Hindi audience is very intelligent and will come to theatres because they have to wait for eight weeks for an OTT release?” asked Jaysinh.

UFO Moviez also distributed 800 (2023), a Tamil biopic on former Sri Lankan bowler Muttiah Muralitharan that was released in Hindi too. Though the film received mostly positive reviews, it did not do well at the box office. “The film has an eight-week OTT release window, but unfortunately, it didn’t work at the box office. Now for eight weeks, the producer has to sit back because theatres aren’t going to continue screening the film and it can’t come out on OTT either,” said Jaysinh.

In such a scenario, why can’t the producer and the exhibitors reach a mutually beneficial consensus, he asked. A workable solution, according to him, is to include a clause that allows an early OTT release if the film isn’t playing in more than a certain number of screens in its second or third week. “By the time it is eight weeks, the product becomes stale. Isn’t it better for everyone if the film is allowed to release on OTT sooner, when the audience is aware of it and wants to watch it from the comfort of their home?” he said. 

With Leo set to release on October 19, several Vijay fans in the Hindi belt have been putting out videos on social media platforms, expressing their disappointment about the Hindi version not releasing in national multiplexes. But so far, it doesn’t look like the MAI is in the mood to budge.