Annapurna wants old distribution back
The Hyderabad studio has announced a Telangana-Andhra slate and a plan to revive commission-based distribution. The numbers, naturally, are still off-screen.
Annapurna Studios has announced a return to commission-based distribution, with commercial details yet to be published.
Annapurna Studios is expanding its theatrical distribution activity across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, with a September slate that includes Dulquer Salmaan’s I’m Game, Karthi’s Sardar 2, EPIC – First Semester and Ramba Oorvasi Menaka, according to reports carrying the studio’s announcement.
The Hyderabad company says it wants to revive a commission-based distribution model and build a “transparent and sustainable distribution ecosystem”. Supriya Yarlagadda, Annapurna Studios’ executive director, said the initiative would bring films the company believes deserve a big-screen release to audiences in both states. Annapurna is also reported to be producing and distributing Ramba Oorvasi Menaka.
Nagarjuna Akkineni separately said in August that Annapurna had begun distribution in Nizam and that it was “going successfully”. No audited revenue, screen count, settlement data, rights agreement or distributor-share figures have been published to establish that claim. The commission structure and territory-wise rights are also undisclosed. For now, Annapurna has announced the ecosystem. The ecosystem has not yet announced its numbers.