Akshay Kumar sets new record on OTT with back-to-back successes!
Akshay Kumar may not have tasted commercial success in 2022, but he is still OTT's reigning king. Out of his five releases last year, four were released theatrically—Ram Setu, Raksha Bandhan, Samat Prithviraj, and Bachchhan Paandey—while Cuttputlli arrived on Disney+ Hotstar. Now, Cuttputlli has reportedly become the most streamed film of 2022, and with this, Kumar has registered a new record in his name.
Why does this story matter?
With the advent of OTT platforms, several mainstream commercial movies started to skip their theatrical outing to opt for a direct-to-digital release. This helps makers in avoiding any monumental financial losses while also ensuring that viewers can catch these films from the comfort of their homes. Some examples of such movies include Gehraiyaan, Kaun Pravin Tambe?, Babli Bouncer, and Govinda Naam Mera, among others.
Look at Kumar starrer's streaming numbers
Among 2022's direct-to-digital releases, Kumar's Cuttputlli received 26.9M views, leaving behind Deepika Padukone's Gehraiyaan (22.3M views) and Kartik Aaryan's Freddy (20.9M views), per media consulting firm Ormax. This is the third time that a Kumar starrer has topped OTT viewership charts. In 2020, Laxmii Bomb—released on Disney+ Hotstar—became the streamer's most-watched film. In 2021, Kumar's theatrical blockbuster Sooryavanshi also broke viewership records on Netflix.
'Audience's love has helped the film achieve success'
Expressing happiness over Cuttputlli's success, the movie's producer, Jackky Bhagnani, said, "We are deeply enthralled that Cuttputli has received so much love and appreciation from the audience, which has made it the most watched original Hindi film of 2022 on OTT." "The sheer love that Akshay sir gets from [the audience]...helped this film reach great heights and proved that good content is duly appreciated."
Here's where we will see Khiladi Kumar next
One of B-Town's busiest actors, Kumar has several projects lined up for release this year. He will be seen in Raj Mehta's comedy Selfiee, action-packed entertainer Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, the Hindi remake of the National Film Award-winning Tamil movie Soorarai Pottru, and Pooja Entertainment's Capsule Gill, co-starring Parineeti Chopra. His return to the beloved Hera Pheri franchise is still shrouded in uncertainty.
