“Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire,” the highly anticipated dystopian action film directed by Prashanth Neel, featuring a stellar cast including Prabhas, Prithviraj Sukumaran, and Meenakshi Chaudhary, has made its OTT debut on Netflix from January 20. The film, produced by Hombale Films, comes with a catch for the audience eagerly awaiting its Hindi version—it is currently available on the OTT platform in Telugu (original), Kannada, Tamil, and Malayalam. However, the release date for the Hindi version remains undisclosed, leaving Hindi-speaking fans in anticipation.
This unique release strategy raises questions about the distribution of different language versions on separate platforms, a trend observed in the past with movies like “Kantara,” also produced by Hombale Films. “Kantara,” a Kannada all-time blockbuster, achieved remarkable success, grossing over ₹400 crore at the box office despite a production cost of ₹16 crore. During its OTT release, the movie took a distinctive approach by releasing the Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam versions on Amazon Prime Video, while the Hindi version found its home on Netflix. It appears that “Salaar” is following a similar pattern, emphasizing the strategic decisions made by production houses for language-specific releases on different platforms.
However, the exact reason for this approach is not entirely clear, as the Netflix trailer for “Salaar” does not explicitly mention the Hindi version. It remains to be seen whether the Hindi version will indeed be released on Netflix or if a different platform will host its debut.
Interestingly, this language-centric distribution strategy is not exclusive to “Salaar” and “Kantara.” Another notable film from Hombale Films, “K.G.F. Chapter 1,” directed by Prashanth Neel, also employed a similar approach. The film, available in both Kannada and Hindi, can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video. Notably, the Bengali version of “K.G.F. Chapter 1” is available on Disney+ Hotstar. Its sequel, “K.G.F. Chapter 2,” expands its reach by streaming on Amazon Prime Video in multiple languages, including Kannada, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, and Telugu.
Turning attention to the film’s box office performance, “Salaar” has made an impressive mark. With an estimated budget of around ₹200 crore, the movie has garnered a staggering ₹613.1 crore worldwide. The India net collection stands at ₹405.13 crore, while the overseas market has contributed ₹134 crore to its success. Despite facing direct competition with Shah Rukh Khan’s Bollywood venture, “Dunki,” directed by Rajkumar Hirani, “Salaar” has managed to outshine it at the global box office, with “Dunki” earning ₹445.4 crore worldwide.
As the film continues to captivate audiences with its dystopian narrative and high-octane action sequences, the delayed release of the Hindi version adds an element of suspense and anticipation. Fans eagerly await further updates on the release date and platform for the Hindi version of “Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire,” expecting it to follow the trend set by its predecessors in finding its home on a different OTT platform. In the dynamic landscape of film distribution, these strategic decisions contribute to the overall success and reach of a movie, catering to diverse language preferences of the audience.