This month we saw Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai release on a pay-per-view format on ZeePlex in addition to DTH and cinemas. Some people felt that this move of a hybrid release might turn out to be a disaster as Radhe was too big a movie to premiere on digital. They feared that shelling out Rs. 249/- for a single view would not be an ideal choice for the audiences. However, they were proved wrong as on the first day of its release, Radhe got 4.2 million views, and even the Zee servers crashed as hordes of viewers excitedly turned out to watch Salman’s movie. Besides, this movie was also available on DTH and over the four-day weekend went on to have more than 9.9 million views across all the platforms.
After the tremendous success of Radhe, it has come to light that Zee Studios is in touch with producers of several big films that are awaiting their release. As per a source, if a movie has a big name in it and is simultaneously released both on DTH, Cinemas, and OTT platforms like ZeePlex, it can be a great proposition. An insider adds that it is possible that makers of big films like ‘83 and Sooryavanshi may be in touch with ZeePlex for such kind of replication. Both the movies are delayed for more than a year now, and this option may well be on cards for them. Maidaan, which is a Zee Studios production, may already be in contention for a pay-per-view release. Additionally, Antim: The Final Truth starring Salman Khan and Aayush Sharma is also expected to take the hybrid route.
