Malayalam OTT Releases: Bazooka Out Soon; What about Dominic and the Ladies' Purse?

There has been an intriguing development with a couple of Malayalam OTT releases of late. OTT giants have tightened the screws when it comes to the films they want to platform, and even big-star movies have been facing adversities owing to this. Before, OTT platforms used to run behind star vehicles irrespective of how they performed at the box office, but now the situation has changed.

Streaming platforms are only considering releasing a film on their platform if it performs exceptionally well at the box office. They are even willing to postpone the streaming date if the film continues to perform well in the theatrical run. Producers are striving to secure an OTT deal before releasing their movies in theaters.

Take Bazooka, for instance. The movie didn't have an OTT deal before and confidently proceeded with the theatrical release. Despite having a star like Mammootty and owing to the acting legend's recent run of form, everybody expected the movie to become a blockbuster. But the reverse had happened, and Bazooka failed to reach the audience's expectations.

Despite its Vishu release, Bazooka failed to draw fans to the theaters and ultimately became a box-office disappointment. This outcome has complicated Bazooka's streaming release, prompting the makers to negotiate a favorable deal for the movie's OTT premiere. Zee5 is said to be vying for the digital rights, but nothing is confirmed.

Another Mammootty movie has been in the shadows for months since its theatrical release. Gautham Vasudev Menon, the director, unleashed Dominic and the Ladies' Purse amid high expectations due to its unique combination. The movie also managed to mint good money from the theaters, as Mammotty and GVM's names were enough to drive fans there.

Despite mixed critics' reviews, Dominic and the Ladies' Purse ended up being a successful outing at the Kerala box office, and the film's digital rights were bagged by Amazon Prime Video. Now, it has been more than three months since Dominic and the Ladies' Purse was released, but there is still no update on when the movie will make it to OTT.

Was a last-minute deal change between Prime Video and the makers involved? Will Zee5, who is looking to platform Bazooka, also try to get Dominic and the Ladies' Purse in a double deal? As of now, all these are mere speculations, and fans are eagerly anticipating the arrival of Dominic and the Ladies' Purse.