The theatrical flop and an OTT Success on Netflix Thammudu Starring Nithiin
By the time Thammudu released in cinemas, it was a blend of the right elements to make a successful film. With Nithiin as one of Tollywood actors, the promotion of the film was that of an interesting sports film with a new twist. The film was however unable to make a huge impact at the box office though it had a lot of buzz at the time of its theatrical release. Critics and audiences were left feeling that despite the potential they had with the premise, a number of aspects were not done correctly and as a result, they underperformed at cinemas to disappointing amounts.
The major cause of Thammudu poor performance was pacing and screenplay. The movie did not quite find the right way to rhythmize, and many reviewers mentioned that the story was too predictable and shallow. Viewers, especially those in want of a more tense and stakes-high sports movie, were disappointed by the tenor of the film. Thammudu failed to stand out in a competitive market place and the numbers in the box office indicated this failure to attract the audiences.
But it was right before the movie was to slip into oblivion that Thammudu received a second chance by making an appearance on Netflix. The OTT release of the film has received a strikingly favorable response with an increasingly high number of people proclaiming it to be far more easy-going and non-elitist in its presentation. Based on the Netflix statistics of viewership, Thammudu was a huge success, as in the first few days of its release, it had been viewed by millions of hours. The audience on the streaming platform has received the film much better with many citing more relaxed tempo and more relatable acting to be its strengths.
Commentators pointed out that the plot of Thammudu that, on the big screen, might have been rather slow somehow fitted better on a streaming platform. At home, people could enjoy the less dramatic and nuttier scenes of the film without the stress of a theater movie. The feeling this conveyed is much better broadcasted in the comfort of home, as Nithiinyna performance which occasionally felt flat in the cinematic format, was better received at home where people are more willing to relate to the emotional moments of the film.
The change in reception also points to a new trend in the consumption of films these days. When moviegoers do not have to leave home to see a movie, there is a lot of pressure to produce a movie that has heart pounding action. Losing sight of the more cerebral aspects of the movie is a frequent outcome of these pressures. This performance of Thammudu in Netflix demonstrates that not every movie has to go through the blockbuster performance on the big screens and find its audience through the cluttered manner of homes and Netflix.
What the success of Thammudu on Netflix is going to mean in the future raises an interesting question. It is possible that the streaming platforms are becoming such a significant force that filmmakers need to redefine how they think about the use of a theatrically released model and whether this approach is well suited to most films because of the potential to reach further out to audiences that want the ready-made at-home viewing experience. One thing is obvious: the theatres are not going to go anywhere, but streaming can provide movies with a second life and can be used as a source of revenue long after the original box office results are calculated.
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