Airtel to offer Telugu movie on DTH on theatrical release day

Telugu movie Minukumanna Minugurulu (Sparkling Fire Flies) will be offered on DTH this Jan 24

Airtel Digital TV, the direct-to-home (DTH) services arm of telecom operator Bharti Airtel, will be releasing a feature film on digital TV on the same day of its theatrical release. The Telugu movie titled Minukumanna Minugurulu (Sparkling Fire Flies)  will be offered on DTH this January 24, the same day of its theatrical release, making Airtel Digital TV the first DTH operator in the country to do so.

It may be recalled that south Indian actor-director Kamal Haasan had earlier tried releasing his multi-lingual mega-budget home production Vishwaroopam on the DTH platform much before the theatrical release but failed in his attempt after facing stiff resistance from exhibitors and distributors, a release stated.

In a press release on Thursday, Airtel Digital TV said Minukumanna Minugurulu would be released exclusively on its pay-per-view (PPV) channel, thereby opening up an all-new avenue for movie releases.

The movie will be available to Airtel Digital TV customers for five days till January 28, for Rs 100 per day and they could watch any or all the eight shows airing on that particular day, it said.

Directed by Ayodhyakumar Krishnamsetty, Minukumanna Minugurulu, with Bollywood actor Ashish Vidyarthi and Suhasini Maniratnam in the main leads, portrays the lives of 40 visually-impaired.