Kamal Haasan’s Indian 2 in legal trouble over OTT release: Report

Indian 2 was released on the big screen on July 12 and released on OTT on August 9. The Hindi version premiered six weeks on OTT after its theatrical release.

Actor Kamal Haasan's Indian 2 has run into a legal soup over its release in the OTT space with the film’s team getting a legal notice by Multiplex Association of India for flouting the streaming rules.

The Shankar directorial was released on July 12 and failed to perform at the box office.

The film was released on the big screen on July 12, and released on OTT on August 9. Now, as per Pinkvilla, the Multiplex Association of India has sent legal notice to the team for breaching the 8-week OTT rule.

The movie's Hindi version premiered only six weeks on OTT after its theatrical release.

Legal trouble

In a statement, the association said, “The Multiplex Association of India has laid a set of rules for theatrical release of films in Hindi. The rules expect the producers to follow a strict 8-week OTT window, and the ones who don’t obey the laid guidelines, won’t get a release in the top 3 national multiplex chains – PVRInox and Cinepolis. The team of Indian 2 aka. Hindustani 2 had agreed on the said guidelines and fetched a release in national chains”.

The source added, “But the multiplex association was shocked to discover that the Hindi version of Indian 2 is streaming now on Netflix, much before the stipulated 8-week window. In an ideal world, Hindustani 2 should have streamed on September 6, but it’s already on air and this has not gone down well with the power players in the exhibition sector”.

Several other people from the association as well as the exhibitors confirmed this development to Pinkvilla on the condition of anonymity. Now, the Multiplex Association of India wants to give a stern message to all the producers to follow the eight-week window.

About the digital release

Shankar’s sequel to his 1996 hit film Indian, Indian 2, was released in theatres on July 12 to a lukewarm response. The film was released on Netflix in multiple languages from August 9. The film released on the platform less than a month after its theatrical release.

About the film

Indian 2 continues the story of Senapathy, with Kamal Haasan reprising the role. He returns to India to fight corruption after a group of youngsters call upon him. A group of friends use social media to expose corruption in the country and call upon him for his help. Apart from Kamal, Indian 2 stars Siddharth, Rakul Preet Singh, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Bobby Simha, SJ Suryah, and Vivek. Kajal Aggarwal also shot for a role in the film but Shankar announced that her character will appear in Indian 3.