Nithiin's Maestro likely to opt for an OTT release

Despite the Telangana government providing permissions to reopen movie halls across the State, the Telugu film industry is thinking twice about releasing their films in theatres. Apart from the COVID-19 third wave scare, the uncertainty of drawing crowds to theatres has been an element of concern for production houses. The first of many big Telugu films that may opt for a direct-to-OTT release is actor Nithiin's Maestro, the Telugu remake of AndhaDhun, directed by Merlapaka Gandhi.

While the makers of Maestro are in talks with multiple platforms, reports suggest that Disney+ Hotstar may be the frontrunner to bag the streaming rights. Maestro, the 30th film in Nithiin's career, also starring Nabha Natesh, Tamannaah Bhatia in key roles, completed its final schedule quickly for the same reason and the team isn't keen on waiting for their turn at the theatres.

Two films of Nithiin have already released in 2021 - Check and Rang De (streaming on SunNXT and ZEE5). While Check opened to mixed reviews and performed poorly at the box office, Rang De had an above-average run. The results of the previous films may have played on the minds of Nithiin with regard to Maestro. Interestingly, even the Malayalam remake of AndhaDhun titled Bhramam starring Prithviraj Sukumaran has also been in the news for taking the OTT route. It remains to be seen which of the remakes release first.