Strong theatrical performance delays 'Kesari 2's OTT premiere: Reports
What's the story
The historical courtroom drama, Kesari Chapter 2: The Untold Story of Jallianwala Bagh, starring Akshay Kumar, R Madhavan, and Ananya Panday, hit screens on April 18.
Directed by Karan Singh Tyagi, the film has been receiving rave reviews from audiences and critics alike.
Backed by Karan Johar, the movie has earned over ₹50cr and continues to perform well despite competition from Jaat.
This strong performance will now delay the film's digital premiere, per multiple reports.
Release strategy
'Kesari 2' to extend theatrical run before OTT release
Considering its box office success, the makers of Kesari 2 are said to be planning to prolong the film's theatrical run.
Generally, Bollywood films release on OTT platforms two months after their theatrical release, but Kesari 2 won't follow that timeline.
Thus, fans excited for the film's OTT debut on JioHotstar may need to wait longer than usual.
Film controversy
Director Tyagi and Kumar defended controversial language in 'Kesari 2'
The film has been a talking point on social media, mostly because of its usage of the F word.
In a recent interview with Filmy Shilmy, Tyagi defended the use of explicit language in the film.
He said, "It was very important for us to include the 'f**k you' in the film because, for us, the whole point was to look the British in the eye and say 'f**k you' for what they had done."
Role insight
Kumar discussed his role in 'Kesari 2'
Kumar, who plays Indian statesman and lawyer C Sankaran Nair in the film, also spoke about his character's use of cuss words.
He said, "Yes, I used that word. But what's surprising is that you noticed this, yet the phrase 'you are still a slave' wasn't seen as a major insult? I think there's no greater insult than that."
The film has been given an A certification.