Amazon has made its most aggressive move in Bollywood to date by picking up global rights to Shoojit Sircar’s dramedy Gulabo Sitabo, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana.
The streamer said the film will have its premiere on June 12 and will be be available in 200 countries and territories worldwide. A Rising Sun film, Gulabo Sitabo was originally slated to be released in theaters on April 17, but the Indian government’s directive to close all cinemas as part of a nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus put the film’s theatrical release in doubt.
Amazon has stepped in to release the highly anticipated movie over its streaming platform, which bolsters the video giant’s existing library of films that span not just Hindi-language Bollywood but also regional cinema. The company also currently has a number of well-regarded original Indian series such as Four More Shots Please!, The Family Man, Mirzapur, Inside Edge and Made In Heaven.
Titled after locally famous glove puppets, Gulabo Sitabo tells the story of two scheming men who try and one-up each other in increasingly outlandish ways.
In statement, Vijay Subramaniam, director and head of content of Amazon Prime Video India, said, “Gulabo Sitabo is one of the most anticipated films of the year. We are happy to exclusively premiere Gulabo Sitabo on Prime Video. It is the first step in our endeavor to bring superior cinematic experiences to our customer’s doorstep.”
“This is the dawn of a new era for Indian entertainment,” said Sircar of Amazon’s acquisition. “I am happy that a global audience will be able to watch our gritty dramedy, and enjoy what the film has in store for them,” he added.
