'Aavesham' nears ₹100 crore despite OTT release
What's the story
The Malayalam film Aavesham has nearly reached the ₹100 crore mark, grossing approximately ₹99.5 crore in its four-week run at the Indian box office.
However, its earnings saw a slowdown in the fourth week due to reports of it getting an OTT release on Amazon Prime Video, which it finally did on Thursday.
Reportedly, the Fahadh Faasil film was pulled from almost 65% of cinemas in Kerala due to its digital premiere. It still collected ₹0.5cr on Thursday.
Policy impact
Kerala's digital release policy impacted 'Aavesham'
In Kerala, the exhibitors association has a policy that prohibits films from being screened once they are released on digital platforms.
This policy is implemented to support cinema, particularly in Kerala where films usually have longer runs.
However, this rule has affected Aavesham, which was projected to gross between ₹85-90 crore in Kerala and over ₹110 crore nationwide.
Digital rights
'Aavesham' secured high price for digital rights
The production side of Aavesham argued that the substantial sums offered by OTT platforms justified an early digital release.
The makers secured one of the highest prices ever received for a Malayalam film's digital rights.
Critics, however, warned that this trend could potentially harm the theatrical business in the long run, especially when digital revenues eventually stabilize.
Collections breakdown
'Aavesham's box office collections breakdown
After its digital release, Aavesham is likely to earn over ₹76 crore in Kerala and between ₹102-103 crore nationwide.
The potential release of Tamil and Telugu dubbed versions could have added another ₹10-20 crore to its total, but now seems unlikely due to its early OTT release.
In Week 1, the box office collection was ₹36 crore, followed by ₹30 crore in Week 2 and ₹22.5 crore in Week 3. It has collected ₹11 crore in its fourth week.