Many Single Screens Are Running Akshay Kumar Led Laxmii By Downloading Pirated Version
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Akshay Kumar & Kiara Advani starrer Laxmii directly released on Disney Plus Hotstar on November 9. Many in the trade wanted the film to release in cinemas but reportedly due to some strong reasons, it didn’t happen.
However, now we hear that Laxmii has illegally released in some single screens in India. Wondering how is that possible? Read on the full story to know.
As per Film Information, a lot of single screens in India are running Laxmii for viewers by downloading the pirated version. Unaware of the fact that the film isn’t available for theatrical viewing the audience is actually paying for it. Now that’s a very sad state of event and it boosts the piracy to another level. Furthermore, it harms the way industry works. And it’s not the first time that these cinemas are playing pirated versions of a film. Reportedly, they’ve done the same in the normal situation too.
A distributor has been quoted as saying by the trade portal, “These are regular cinemas who come to us for buying the screening rights of films distributed by us and by the other distributors like us. If the terms demanded by us don’t suit them, they go away without striking deals but they then screen the film illegally and pocket the collections cent per cent.”
The distributor explains that it was easier to catch them before lockdown. He says, “However, there are some basic differences between the illegal screening in the pre-COVID days and this particular case of Laxmii. Before the lockdown, such exhibitors did come into our net sooner or later because we had business relations with them. We used to adjust our share of the illegally screened film when they came for the legal rights of the next film distributed by us. But in this case, we, or for that matter, no distributor will be able to adjust our/their share of Laxmii because nobody holds the distribution rights of the film. The other difference is that in the case of other films, around 2-3% of the screenings used to be illegal but in the case of Laxmii, every screening is illegal.”
Meanwhile, Laxmii has officially released in cinemas in the countries like Australia & New Zealand. The film in its first-week run did a business of 1.3 crores approx there.
