Kangana's 'Thalaivii' released: Here's when & where to watch it; find dates of OTT release

The film industry has been affected adversely by COVID-19, with shootings and theatres being shut due to the pandemic. While Over-the-Top platforms gained from this situation by streaming the premieres of numerous movies and shooting restrictions eased, it's the theatrical business that makers are keen on bringing to pre-COVID times. 

After BellBottom, Kangana Ranaut-starrer Thalaivii is the latest in the mission of bringing audiences back to theatres. As the movie releases on Friday, here's looking at the platforms on which it will be releasing and when it will be available on OTT.

When and where to watch Thalaivii?

At the moment, Thalaivii can be watched only in theatres. However, not all theatres in the country are playing the movie. States like Maharashtra and Kerala are yet to open their theatres due to the COVID-19 restrictions, so citizens of these regions will have to wait before the movie hits OTT.

The movie can be enjoyed in cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Chennai, Kolkata, among other in theatres. However, not all theatres are open in these cities either.

Multiplex chains like PVR and Inox have refused to screen the Hindi version though they will be screening the Tamil and Telugu versions, with the Telugu version being available in cities like Hyderabad.

This decision of the multiplexes was sparked by the makers of Thalaivii having only a 2-week window between the theatrical release and the OTT release. Since the Tamil and Telugu languages had a four-week window, they have agreed to screen the versions.

Is Thalaivii releasing on OTT?

Yes, Thalaivii will be hitting Over-The-Top platforms soon, but not simultaneously with the theatrical version. The rights for the Hindi version have been picked up by Netflix, while the Tamil and Telugu version rights have been acquired by Amazon Prime. 

The makers are yet to announce the release dates of the OTT release. However, with multiplex chains pointing out the two-week window for the Hindi version between its theatrical and OTT release, a tentative date for the Netflix release of Thalaivii could be September 24. Similarly, the Tamil and Telugu versions could tentatively release around October 8 on Amazon Prime.