Releasing a movie on OTT is not as easy as it seems, says director Selvakumar Chellapandian

Chennai: Director Selvakumar Chellapandian, whose upcoming film ‘Ward 126’ is all set for release, says that releasing a film on an OTT platform is not as easy as it seems as there exists a long queue of films that are awaiting release.

The director said: “We are planning to release the movie at the earliest in theatres as a lengthy waiting period is likely to add to the economic damage we have already suffered as a result of the Covid outbreak.”

“We have decided to release our film in theatres at the earliest and thereby recover the investments we’ve made. Our talks with distributors are nearing completion, and we will make an official announcement about the release shortly. ‘Ward 126’ is made to offer a good theatrical experience.”

However, the director also added: “At the same time, we are keeping our doors open for valuable OTT offers too. There is a misconception that releasing a movie on the OTT platform is an easy deal. The fact is that you might have to wait for a really long time as there is a long queue of pending releases.”

‘Ward 126’, a romantic investigative thriller that emphasises individual morality, features actresses Vidya Pradeep, Shritha Sivadas and Shruthi Ramkrishna in the lead.

Michael Thangadurai and Jishnu Menon play the male leads in this female-centric film that has been produced by SSB Talkies. Apart from these actors, Sonia Aggarwal and Sriman will be seen playing pivotal characters in the film.

Selvakumar Chellapandian further said: “Every industry has a dark side. In fact, it is an inevitable part of any industry. I have made this movie based on my experiences and encounters with those dark sides when I worked in the IT industry. The title ‘Ward 126’ will be the beginning of an end.”

“The pandemic reached its peak while we were shooting this movie. However, we have battled against all odds, faced many challenges, and managed to complete this movie. We shot the movie in Chennai, Bangalore, and Noida, and the songs in Pondicherry,” he said.

Cinematography for the film is by S.K. Suresh Kumar while music is by Varun Sunil. Thyagu has taken care of editing.

–IANS