2

Samantha Akkineni’s film Shaakuntalam, which failed at the box office, is set for an OTT release on Amazon Prime. Despite criticism for its VFX and narration, Dil Raju is confident that the film will do well on the digital platform.

Samantha Akkineni is a well-known actress in the South Indian film industry. She has delivered many successful films throughout her career and has earned a huge fan following. However, not every film she chose turned out to be a hit. One such movie was Shaakuntalam, which was released in theaters earlier this year.

Shaakuntalam: A Second Chance for Samantha Akkineni’s Flop Film on OTT

Samantha had high hopes for this film as it was backed by two big names in the industry, Gunasekhar, and Dil Raju. Unfortunately, the movie failed to impress the audience and turned out to be a box-office disaster.

Shaakuntalam Full HD Movie Info:

Movie TitleShaakuntalam
GenrePeriod drama
DirectorGunasekhar
ProducersGunasekhar, Dil Raju
Lead CastSamantha Akkineni, Dev Mohan
Budget60 crores
Box Office CollectionFlop
Release Date (Theatrical)February 2023
OTT ReleaseMay 12, 2023
Digital PlatformAmazon Prime Video
LanguageTelugu
Running Time2 hours 30 minutes
MusicMani Sharma
CinematographyS. Gopal Reddy
EditingA. Sreekar Prasad
Production CompanyGunaa Team Works, Sri Venkateswara Creations
DistributorSri Venkateswara Creations

Also Read: Modern Love Chennai: A Tamil Anthology Series with a Star-Studded Cast

Samantha received a lot of backlash from the audience, who trolled her for her choice of film. However, what most people don’t know is that she was paid a hefty amount to play the lead role in the film alongside Dev Mohan.

Despite the negative response to the film’s theatrical release, the movie is now gearing up for an OTT release. Amazon Prime has secured the digital rights of Shaakuntalam for a fancy price, and the movie is set to release on May 12th. Since many people did not watch the film in theaters, there is a lot of buzz surrounding its OTT release.

Shaakuntalam OTT Release Date

Shaakuntalam is a period drama directed by Gunasekhar, with a budget of a whopping 60 crores. Dil Raju joined the film as a co-producer, and he lost close to 20 crores from his pocket due to the film’s failure.

However, despite the setback, Dil Raju is confident that Shaakuntalam will do well on the OTT platform and garner millions of views.

The movie was criticized for its cheesy VFX and silly narration, and the 3D release added to the budget even more. However, Samantha’s performance was appreciated by the audience, even though the rest of the aspects of the movie fell short. Gunasekhar is yet to announce his next project, and it will be interesting to see what he has in store for his fans.

Related: Watch ‘August 16 1947’ on Prime Video: A Tale of Resilience and Freedom in Pre-Independence Madras

Samantha Akkineni may have received backlash for choosing to act in Shaakuntalam, but she was paid a handsome amount for her role. The film may have flopped in theaters, but the OTT release presents a new opportunity for the movie to reach a wider audience. Only time will tell whether Shaakuntalam will be able to redeem itself on the digital platform, but Dil Raju’s confidence in the film’s success is a good sign.