Rajinikanth’s much-anticipated ‘Lal Salaam’ which was released in February 2024 but unfortunately failed to deliver. Even though it had prior to release buzz and Rajinikanth’s extended cameo, the film didn’t do great at the box office, making Lyca Productions incur massive losses. But after all the months of waiting, the film is now set for its digital release on April 4th on Sun NXT, giving the viewers a second opportunity to watch it.
Theatrical Disappointment – What Went Wrong?
Aishwarya Rajinikanth-directed ‘Lal Salaam’ had a promise to deliver a strong socio-political drama. The movie had solid pre-release hype, mainly due to Rajinikanth’s cameo and Lyca Productions banner. However, the movie did not entice audiences after its release, collecting mixed-to-bad reviews.
Key Factors Behind the Film’s Failure:
- Poor Storytelling: The majority of critics and audiences felt that the narrative of the film was poor, and that affected its emotional depth.
- Editing Challenges: The crew later confessed to losing some footage, and thus made extreme editing alterations even after the film’s release.
- Missing That Spark: The film was unable to capture that mass adoration even though it had Rajinikanth as an addition to propel its theatrical lifetime.
- Monetary Losses: Due to its poor box office performance, producers suffered enormous monetary losses.
OTT Release Delays – What went wrong?
Soon after its theatrical release, fans started expecting Netflix to stream ‘Lal Salaam’ as the platform had initially bought its digital rights. The process, however, took a different turn when it was reported that Netflix had backed out of the deal due to problems.
Months passed with no word on the digital release of the movie. This only fueled growing rage among fans after a series of conflicting announcements made by the production team.
However, breaking the silence of so long, Sun NXT has officially announced that ‘Lal Salaam’ will be streaming on April 4th, marking its much-awaited digital premiere.
Will OTT Give ‘Lal Salaam’ a Second Chance?
Although ‘Lal Salaam’ failed at the cinema, OTT release could attract new audiences and give the movie a chance to build an appreciation online. A few movies that bombed at the box office went on to be successful through OTT platforms because they had improved accessibility and a new base of audiences.
The political undertones, drama, and presence of Rajinikanth in the film might attract viewers who could not watch it during its theatrical release. With streaming viewers having varied tastes, ‘Lal Salaam’ can redeem itself on Sun NXT.
Final Thoughts
Even though it faltered initially, ‘Lal Salaam’ is about to start a new chapter in its journey on the internet. The audience can now view the film at home from April 4th. Whether it will succeed in winning hearts in the OTT segment or not remains to be seen, but its wait has finally come to an end!
