Yash’s KGF Chapter 2 early access streaming on Amazon Prime Video has fans seething for two reasons

Streaming platform Amazon Prime Video, which holds the digital rights of Rocking Star Yash’s magnum opus KGF: Chapter 2, announced a while ago that as part of its new marketing strategy, the film was being made available as early streaming at a cost of Rs 199 per subscriber. Fans who are eagerly awaiting the film’s arrival on the platform, however, were not pleased by the additional charge, given that they already pay Rs 1499 per year. “What type of business is this? Already paying the heavy amount of subscription and still you want us to pay as rent to watch the movie. Absolutely rubbish,” wrote one user. “It’s not a fair deal or professional practice. Already have the active subscription, why to pay extra!! Amazon is trying to fill their bucket with bucks in every possible way,” said another.

Amazon Prime Video is rumoured to have paid a phenomenally large amount for the digital rights of the film. The pay-per-view scheme is seen as a means to recover some of its investment, as KGF: Chapter 2 is still going very strong in theatres across the country. Moreover, a high-definition copy of the film was rumoured to have been leaked on the internet a few days ago, which, according to reports, is being widely circulated on piracy sites. This, say industry insiders, explains the hurried move to make the film available to stream.

The chargeable early access amount, however, was not the only thing that irked fans. The poster that the streaming platform released to announce the movie rental scheme listed the languages that KGF: Chapter 2 would be available, starting with Hindi and ending with Kannada. Fans said that Amazon Prime Video ought to remember that KGF: Chapter 2 is originally a Kannada film that was then dubbed into other languages and that it would only be fair that the poster lists the languages accordingly.