Aditya N
Aditya N
The Malayalam film industry, known for producing top-notch films in India, persists in presenting highly praised and financially prosperous movies such as Manjummel Boys, Premalu, Aavesham, and 2018. Nevertheless, it must catch up to its Telugu and Tamil counterparts, which possess more extensive distribution networks in the northern region.
The Malayalam industry, a beacon of artistic and business prowess, is currently grappling with a decline in interest from major OTT platforms in terms of acquiring rights to their films. Just three years ago, platforms such as Amazon Prime and Netflix India were actively purchasing Malayalam movies, but now their interest has significantly diminished. At present, only SonyLIV and Disney Hotstar are showing some interest, albeit at significantly reduced prices. Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Aadujeevitham, despite its immense popularity, has not been able to sell its OTT rights. Unlike big Hindi and Telugu films that can command prices ranging from 100-250 crores, Malayalam films often struggle to secure even 15 crores. The digital rights to Malayalam films are not attracting the same level of interest from OTT platforms.
One potential explanation for this phenomenon is that despite receiving critical praise, Malayalam movies primarily cater to a specific group of sophisticated film enthusiasts. Over-the-top (OTT) platforms, which require a large viewership to validate their investments, may face challenges in justifying the acquisition of these films. It is also being said that the pricing negotiations between the filmmakers and the digital platforms are not working well, and a few netizens and movie lovers feel that until there is a balanced approach from both parties, the problem will not be solved.
