'The Kashmir Files': Looking at blockbuster's OTT release, successful run
Vivek Agnihotri's The Kashmir Files was released on March 11 and set the worldwide box office ablaze soon after. Based on the mass exodus of Kashmiri Hindus in the Valley in the 1990s, the film stars Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, and Darshan Kumar, among others. Subsequently, it arrived on ZEE5 on May 13 and cemented unparalleled records there as well. Let's take a look.
Why does this story matter?
In addition to helming the project, Vivek Agnihotri had also penned the film's screenplay. The Kashmir Files received powerful backing from the ruling government as well and was declared tax-free in Haryana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Tripura. Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had also been extremely vocal in their support of the film.
Film recorded 9M views in the first week
After solidifying itself as a blockbuster, the film breached the 9M viewership mark on ZEE5 in its first week. It premiered in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada and registered the highest number of views (6M) and streaming minutes (220M) during the opening weekend. Talking about the film's astounding success, Agnihotri had said, "I hope with ZEE5's global reach, more people discover and watch it."
'The Kashmir Files' was released in sign language, too!
Along with raking in these impressive numbers, the team was lauded for releasing the film in the Indian Sign Language. With this, ZEE5 set the world record for becoming the maiden OTT platform to release a Bollywood commercial film for the hearing impaired. In line with ZEE5's "inclusive approach," the makers also organized a special screening for about 500 deaf people in Mumbai.
Post COVID-19: It brought viewers to theaters in unprecedented numbers
Prior to dominating the OTT sphere, the film roared at the box office for a long while. Due to its dream theatrical run, its digital debut also had to be pushed. The movie earned the exceptional feat of becoming the first Hindi film to cross the Rs. 250cr mark during the COVID-19 pandemic period (domestic). Its worldwide collection now stands at Rs. 337.23cr!
