The Kerala Story OTT release delayed as film fails to find partner

The Kerala Story has been one of the most talked-about movies of 2023, but has failed to see an OTT release yet. The reason behind the delayed/stalled digital premiere is lack of an OTT partner to release the movie.

In an interview with Rediff, director Sudipto Sen has denied rumours of an impending OTT release for his superhit film, The Kerala Story. “So far, we have not got any offer worth considering. It seems the film industry has ganged up to punish us,” he told the media portal. He accused the Hindi film industry of preventing them from succeeding in an OTT partnership.

While there were reports this month of an OTT release for The Kerala Story happening on June 23rd, 2023, the rumours have now been shut down by the director who claims a witch hunt is ongoing against his film.

To recall, The Kerala Story released in theatres on May 5th, 2023, and was greeted by a big box office week. However, the film soon turned controversial as certain state governments attempted to ban its release citing religious sentiments.

According to the general 8-week release calendar that most Bollywood films follow, The Kerala Story should have come to an OTT platform by June-end or the first week of July. However, given Sen’s claims of a witch hunt, further accentuated by the sensitive content of the film, it seems a fruitful partnership is still waiting to happen.

The Kerala Story grossed more than Rs 80 crore in its first week of release, while the second week saw it moving up to Rs 90 crores in box office collections. This makes it one of the most profitable Hindi movies of 2023.