With theatres open again post the second wave of the pandemic, films that are slated for a theatre release, are expected by theatre owners to stick to the previously followed four-week window before they can make their OTT premiere.

The Tamil Nadu Theatres and Multiplexes Owners Association reiterated the same to the team of the upcoming Kangana Ranaut-starrer Thalaivi, when permission was requested for an early premiere. The association's president Tirupur M Subramaniam confirmed this to us when he said, "We have conveyed this stipulation to the team of Thalaivi, and this will apply for all films that are awaiting their release in theatres."

Notably, when Vijay's Master had an OTT premiere on January 29, just 16 days after its theatre release, controversy erupted as theatre owners and distributors claimed that they were blindsided by such an unexpected announcement.

The issue also extended to the Telugu states, when Ravi Teja’s Krack, which was released on January 9, got a digital premiere on Aha, on January 29. Later, this date was pushed to February 5.