Veyil, a Malayalam-language drama film written and directed by Sarath Menon starring Shane Nigam and Shine Tom Chacko will stream on Amazon Prime Video on 15 April.
OTT (over-the-top) streaming platforms in 2021 witnessed films in the four south Indian languages, including their dubbed versions, break out, comprising as much as 10% of overall viewing minutes.
North Indian states such as Uttar Pradesh, Delhi NCR (National Capital Region), and Maharashtra make up 75% of viewership for dubbed movies. Malayalam film Minnal Murali was one of the top ten non-English films on Netflix for the last week of December, with 5.9 million viewing hours, while titles like Jai Bhim, Sarpatta Parambarai and Soorarai Pottru are among Amazon Prime Video’s biggest hits.
Media experts say acquisition prices for southern films that were much lower than Hindi films to begin with, are only going to get higher in 2022, as they perform better than many niche, multiplex Hindi films, and as previously premium platforms look to go mainstream. Even small Malayalam films can now demand up to Rs. 20-30 crore, as much as a mid-sized Hindi film.
Southern films, currently bringing in returns for streaming platforms, are following the trend of their popularity on satellite television. While niche, experimental films have been discovered beyond their native states on one hand, mass-market offerings starring top names such as Dhanush, Rajinikanth, Allu Arjun on platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar and MX Player have also grabbed eyeballs, as families come together to watch stars.
Action, thriller and romance remain big genres, followed by drama and horror. While the southern industries bet big on larger-than-life characters and mainstream entertainment, the pandemic has also opened up possibilities to take the digital route for many films that could not wait for theatrical showcasing.
