Imagine a time when you won’t have to leave your bedroom to catch a new film’s premiere. For foreign fans of Bollywood movies, that time is now. Striker, the Bollywood flick
that features Siddharth (Rang De Basanti fame) and Aditya Pancholi, will be released simultaneously in theatres as well as on popular video broadcasting site YouTube.
The option to view it online, however, is limited only to international audiences. Incidentally, the rough cut of filmmaker Sudeep Mishra’s film Tera Kya Hoga Johnny was leaked on the same site earlier this month.
Striker’s director Chandan Arora is excited about the first-of-its-kind move. “It’s great for a project high on content, but low on star value. In such a scenario, one does not get optimal distribution in overseas markets. This will help curb piracy and reach a wider audience.”
While international audiences outside the US can watch the film for free on Studio18’s YouTube channel, in the US, a rent will be charged. However, in order to ensure maximum revenues from the Indian audiences, online movie watching for the flick has been barred.
Sandeep Bhargava of The Indian Film Company, which is distributing the film, says, “This will help us reach out to audiences in a focused and cost-effective way.”