Vijay's Master is out on Amazon Prime, just 16 days after its theatrical release. This is the first time that a film of Thalapathy has been released on the OTT in less than one month after theatrical release.
The Big Gamble Works Out
Master is credited as the first big movie to hit the screens after Covid-19 lockdown in 2020. The makers of the Vijay-starrer took a big risk to release the film when many filmmakers of big movies across the film industries have been hesitant to release since they were not confident of the audience filling up cinema halls as the pandemic is still around.
The Master makers' gamble worked out as the movie met with a stupendous response from the audience. Prior to the theatrical release, they had received a good offer from Amazon Prime to skip theatrical release to have a direct release on the platform, but the Master team were firm on their decision to have a theatrical release.
As per the buzz, the OTT company had struck a deal for staggering Rs 36 crore for the digital rights of the Vijay-starrer.
However, the OTT company then came up with an offer to release the film early by offering another Rs 15.5 crore. Hence, Amazon Prime has paid a record-breaking Rs 51.5 crore for the digital rights of Master. This is said to be the highest-ever amount paid by the OTT for a Tamil film.
The digital rights of Vijay's earlier movies like Bigil were sold in a range of Rs 18-20 crore.
Master at Box Office
Meanwhile, Master has set the box office on fire. The film has ended the lull period at the collection centres in South India and managed to attract a large section of the audience.
Master is a crime thriller, written and directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. The film has Vijay Sethupathi in the role of antagonist, while Malavika Mohanan is the female lead.