Yuvarathnaa goes the OTT way as theatre occupancy restricted to 50%

Lead actor persuades CM to allow screening in theatres for one week without restrictions to wrangle a good price from OTT platform

Film exhibitors expressed dismay and anger following the announcement that the Puneeth Rajkumar starrer Yuvarathnaa will start streaming on Over The Top (OTT) platform Amazon Prime from Friday, just eight days after its release. They are reeling under losses due to the lack of business last year and restrictions on theatre occupancy that came into effect on Wednesday. They were banking on Yuvarathnaa to tide them over this tough period. They are upset that such a big film will stream on OTT so early, essentially undercutting their business further. The film will continue to run in theatres as well, the film’s producer Hombale Films, announced on Twitter. “The producers may make a quick buck, but the larger industry will suffer,” said K.V. Chandrashekhar, president, Karnataka Film Exhibitors’ Association.