Upendra’s UI on OTT: Team says streaming deal reports are fake

When Real Star Upendra’s UI was released on December 20, the film did not have TV or streaming partner details in the title card. However, shortly after, reports emerged that the film’s satellite and digital rights had been sold and that one network had staked claim to both. A probable streaming date at the end of January 2025, was also floated.

UI movie review: Upendra goes into preacher mode overdrive in film that falls short on entertainment 

However, UI producer KP Sreekanth says that these reports are not to be believed. Taking to social media, Sreekanth wrote that the reports that the digital rights of UI have been acquired by Sun NXT are false. An official announcement regarding the OTT rights will be shared by the team in due course of time, he added.

UI satellite rights with Zee; digital with Amazon Prime Video?

The post, interestingly, featured Zee Kannada and Zee Studios logos, so the satellite rights are more likely with Zee Network. Whether or not they also have streaming rights remains to be seen, but a source says that the network has only been acquiring TV rights, like, in the case of Bhairathi Ranagal, more recently.

Upendra on UI: Everyone will understand the basic plot, but decoding the layers is up to each person 

It was expected that ZEE5 would host the Shivarajkumar starrer, but eventually, the OTT rights went to Amazon Prime, even though the former had acquired both TV and digital streaming rights of Shivarajkumar’s earlier production, Vedhaa.

For a while now, Amazon Prime Video has emerged as the only platform consistently opening its doors to Kannada cinema. However, it is said that the days of outright purchases are over, with pay-per-view or rental-only, as the available options.

UI, meanwhile, is said to be ending its theatrical run, as the Sankranti big-ticket Telugu and Tamil releases will be in theatres shortly. Although the team has steadfastly refused to divulge the film’s eventual budget, trackers estimate that it is in the vicinity of Rs 100 crore. Trade trackers have put its theatrical revenue at around Rs 40-Rs 45 cr net, although the team claims that the film is a success.