Amazon Prime snags Bollywood premieres, angering theater owners

Amazon Prime Video, Amazon’s streaming service, will screen several new Indian films originally meant for theatrical release this month, sparking protests from cinema owners as the novel coronavirus outbreak upends Bollywood.

India has been under a strict lockdown since March 25th to battle the virus, leaving about 9,500 theatres shut and depriving Bollywood of box-office revenue.

So producers of seven films, including two Bollywood movies starring A-listers, such as Amitabh Bachchan and Vidya Balan, will stream the movies directly on Amazon Prime Video following a deal.

“Gulabo Sitabo”, a family comedy with Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana, which was set for release in April, will now stream directly on Amazon Prime Video in June, as will “Shakuntala Devi”, a biopic of the Indian mathematician of the same name.

Two of India’s biggest cinema chains, Inox and PVR, who were meant to screen “Gulabo Sitabo”, bemoaned the decision.

[Source: Reuters]