Varun Dhawan On OTT Release Of ‘Bawaal’: Don’t Think A Bad Film Can Survive On Streaming Platforms

Varun Dhawan will next be seen in ‘Bawaal’. It is directed by Nitesh Tiwari and also stars Janhvi Kapoor. The film makers decided to skip the theatrical release of the project, and it will be released on Prime Video on July 21. 

‘Bawaal’ is not the lead actors’ first direct-to-OTT release. In fact, Varun’s ‘Coolie No 1’, the comedy directed by his father David Dhawan, too debuted directly on Prime Video India. Janhvi’s ‘Good Luck Jerry’ and ‘Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl’ too premiered on streaming platforms. While those films were released on OTT platforms in the first year of the pandemic, it's no longer the case now. 

In fact, Varun is all set for his OTT series debut, the Indian instalment of ‘Citadel’, directed by Raj & DK and co-starring Samantha Ruth Prabhu, as well. The show would also drop on Prime Video India.

In a new interview to Variety, Varun talked about the film’s OTT release and said, “You have to make sure that you have a good film because here (streaming), I don’t think a bad film can survive, to be honest. You have to be a very good film to thrive, because it’s so democratic. The way things function here the word-of-mouth plays even more.”

Varun further added how the OTT release would actually be beneficial for ‘Bawaal’. “The whole idea was to pitch this film on a global level, our producer Sajid Nadiadwala had that vision. Him releasing it himself, I don’t think he thought he can do that. But with partners like Amazon, it became much easier,” he said.

Meanwhile, talking about ‘Bawaal’, director Nitesh Tiwari said in a statement, “Great love stories deserve to be experienced and they always find a medium to reach an audience. Over the years, some of these stories have become true epics, not because of a grandiose scale but because of the heart-stringing, gut-wrenching essence that makes the audience feel every emotion. Bawaal is an Indian film which will appeal to audiences across the world. It will make you feel the jitters of nervousness, the joy of togetherness, the pain of separation, and so much more. Varun and Janhvi have brilliantly portrayed the roles of Ajju and Nisha, taking you on a journey from small-town India to Europe, that will leave an indelible mark on your hearts and mind.”