Major Sankranthi Releases Hit OTT Roadblocks - Pricing or Permissions?

Interestingly, only two of the five Telugu films that are aiming for a Sankranthi 2026 release have completed their OTT agreements thus far. While Ravi Teja's Bhartha Mahasahayulaku Wignapthi was sold at a reduced price because of the actor's recent box office slump, Netflix secured the rights to Naveen Polishetty's Anaganaga Oka Raju early on.

The two main Sankranthi contenders, Prabhas's The Raja Saab and Chiranjeevi's Mana Shanakara Vara Prasad Garu, are still without OTT agreements. The producer needs to obtain a NOC from a North Indian financier who supplied a financial loan, which is why the Raja Saab is on hold. Mana Shanakara Vara Prasad Garu, on the other hand, is facing a pricing obstacle because the producer is requesting a substantially higher sum than OTT platforms are prepared to provide.

This situation is now drawing comparisons to Balakrishna’s Akhanda 2, where the makers had to finally settle for a reduced deal with Netflix after months of tough negotiations. Mana Shanakara Vara Prasad Garu may also need to modify its expectations and take a similar course if things keep going this way.