Why is Prime releasing 'Superboys of Malegaon' in theaters first?
What's the story
Reema Kagti's latest directorial venture, Superboys of Malegaon, will be making its theatrical debut on Friday.
The film, an Amazon Prime Video original, will hit cinemas before its digital premiere.
But why is it so?
This strategy is part of Amazon MGM Studios's plan to generate more buzz for the movie ahead of its OTT release and boost overall revenue.
Star cast
'Superboys of Malegaon' features Adarsh Gourav and Vineet Kumar Singh
Superboys of Malegaon features Adarsh Gourav in the lead, along with Vineet Kumar Singh, Shashank Arora, and Anuj Singh Duhan.
The film is produced by Excel Entertainment and Tiger Baby Films.
Drawing inspiration from the 2008 documentary Supermen of Malegaon, it follows the life of Nasir Shaikh (Gourav), an amateur filmmaker from Malegaon.
Strategy
'Superboys of Malegaon' follows Amazon's successful cinema-first strategy
Notably, this isn't the first time Amazon Prime Video has gone for a cinema-first release strategy.
The platform had earlier adopted the same strategy for the Hollywood film Red One, featuring Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans.
OTT giants use this limited-time big-screen release for publicity and better streaming numbers.
Festival acclaim
'Superboys of Malegaon' received standing ovation at Toronto Festival
Superboys of Malegaon premiered at the grand Toronto International Film Festival last year and was given a standing ovation. The film is expected to earn ₹1-2 crore on its opening day. It will be clashing with Crazxy, featuring Sohum Shah, at the box office.
This is Kagti's return to the big screen after a seven-year-long hiatus since her last theatrical release.