Multiplex Association Takes Legal Action Over Early OTT Release

Kamal Haasan’s film Indian 2 is facing legal issues related to its streaming release. According to Pinkvilla, the Multiplex Association of India has issued a legal notice to the film’s team, accusing them of violating the mandated streaming timeline. The film debuted in theatres on July 12 and subsequently made its OTT debut on August 9, which is less than the required eight weeks.

The Multiplex Association of India has set a guideline that films in Hindi must observe an eight-week gap between their theatrical and OTT releases. Producers who do not comply with this rule risk losing their release in major national multiplex chains, such as PVRInox and Cinepolis. The Indian 2 team had initially agreed to these conditions, which led to the film’s screening in these multiplexes.

A source told the portal, “The Multiplex Association of India has laid a set of rules for the 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”.

However, the association was taken aback to find the Hindi version of Indian 2 available on Netflix much earlier than the stipulated eight-week period. According to the rules, the film should have been available for streaming starting September 6, but it appeared on the platform before then. This breach has not been well-received by industry leaders.

Directed by Shankar, Indian 2 continues the narrative of Senapathy, a character portrayed by Kamal Haasan, who returns to India to combat corruption after being summoned by a group of young activists. Besides Kamal Haasan, the film features Siddharth, Rakul Preet Singh, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Bobby Simha, SJ Suryah, and Vivek. Kajal Aggarwal, who also appeared in the film, will have her role continued in Indian 3, as confirmed by Shankar.