OTT and TV News

Maadhav Bhupathiraju, nephew of Tollywood star Ravi Teja, made his acting debut with Maremma, which hit cinemas on September 10, 2026. The rural drama is now gearing up for its OTT premiere.

According to the latest information, Aha and Amazon Prime Video have acquired the streaming rights to Maremma. The film is set to premiere on both platforms on October 9, 2026, with an official announcement expected shortly.

Directed by Manchala Nagaraj and produced by Mayur Reddy Bandaru, Maremma features Deepa Balu, Vikas Vasishta, Vinod Kumar, V.S. Rupa Lakshmi, Dayanand Reddy and others in key roles. Prashanth R. Vihari and Bipradeep Dutta composed the music.

Sithara Entertainments’ Epic – First Semester did not perform as well as expected in cinemas. Starring Anand Deverakonda and Vaishnavi Chaitanya, the film marked the feature debut of Aditya Hasan and is now heading towards its OTT release.

The film is likely to arrive on OTT on October 9, 2026, although an official confirmation is still awaited. There are also chances of Epic – First Semester expanding beyond Telugu on the digital platform. With its theatrical run falling short of expectations, the OTT release could give the film another opportunity to reach a wider audience and find a better response digitally.

Epic – First Semester also stars Sivaji, Vasuki, Srinivas Gavireddy, Kalyan Shankar and others. Sai Soujanya co-produced the film, which was released in cinemas on September 11, 2026, while Hesham Abdul Wahab composed the music.

For the past few years, the OTT market has become very crucial for Tollywood, with the recovery of many films solely dependent on post-theatrical streaming deals. A criticism also emerged online that movies were being made with little effort because OTT deals were saving the day.

But OTTs have quickly realized that the higher amounts they are paying are not worth it. With streaming platforms slashing their budgets, several medium-range films have taken a hit. Big-ticket entertainers have also started to face the heat now, with OTTs not willing to offer beyond a certain amount, considering viability.

This comes as a huge blow to certain projects that are being made on whopping budgets. The figures expected by producers are far higher than what OTTs are actually offering, widening the gap. Furthermore, the deals are tied to the films’ box-office performance.

If this continues, producers will have no option but to rely mostly on theatrical business for recovery. A section of netizens feels that OTTs are indeed doing the right thing, as the move will shift the industry’s focus towards making quality films in controlled budgets without resorting to shortcuts.

Parineeti Chopra is set for back-to-back Netflix releases, with Shaque: Trust No One and Reporting Live arriving just 15 days apart. The actress was recently seen in Shaque: Trust No One, which premiered on September 24, 2026, and she is now gearing up for Reporting Live on October 9, 2026.

Directed by Dhruv Tripathi, the investigative thriller has been quietly in the works for several years and is produced by Partha Kiran Thakur and Joshua Shirsath.

Reporting Live sees Chopra play a frontline journalist who, along with seasoned cameraman Deven Bhojani, takes on a dangerous investigation into an illegal sand mining network. As the investigation deepens, the duo finds themselves facing mounting threats in their pursuit of the truth.

The film also features veterans Amol Palekar, Adil Hussain and Shekhar Suman in key roles. With two contrasting projects arriving just 15 days apart, Chopra is set for a notable month on Netflix, following her acclaimed performance in Amar Singh Chamkila.

While Karthi fans were celebrating the second anniversary of Meiyazhagan (Sathyam Sundaram in Telugu), Amazon Prime Video announced the OTT premiere date of his much-awaited Sardar 2.

Released in cinemas on September 10, 2026, across multiple languages, the film failed to meet box office expectations, while its competitor Mandaadi gained the upper hand. Now, Sardar 2 is set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video in multiple languages on October 1, 2026, just 21 days after its theatrical release.

The film stars Malavika Mohanan and Ashika Ranganath as the female leads, while SJ Suryah appears as the antagonist. Sam CS composed the music, with Prince Pictures and IVY Entertainment backing the project.

Ram Charan’s Peddi, released on June 9, 2026, is now heading to television. The film, directed by Buchi Babu Sana, is set to have its Hindi television premiere soon, giving Hindi-speaking audiences another chance to watch the action drama.

Sony MAX has officially locked the telecast, with the channel set to air Peddi on October 25, 2026, at 8 PM. Meanwhile, there is no official word yet on the Telugu television premiere. However, reports suggest that a Dasara premiere on ZEE Telugu could be on the cards.

Janhvi Kapoor plays the female lead, while Shiva Rajkumar, Jagapathi Babu and others appear in key roles. AR Rahman composed the music for the Vriddhi Cinemas production.

Sandeep Reddy Vanga-backed youthful romantic comedy drama Romanchakam is set to make its digital debut on Netflix. Directed by debutant Venu Gopal Reddy, the film stars Sumanth Prabhas and Ananthika Sanilkumar as the lead pair.

Netflix has confirmed that Romanchakam will premiere on October 1, 2026. Interestingly, the film will also be available in other languages on the platform, giving it a wider reach beyond its Telugu audience.

The film’s theatrical run did not turn out as expected, but the OTT release could give Romanchakam a fresh lease of life. With Netflix taking the film to a much wider audience, it remains to be seen if the digital premiere changes the conversation around the movie.

Produced by Pranay Reddy Vanga and presented by director Sandeep Reddy Vanga under the Bhadrakali Pictures banner, the film also features Upendra Limaye, Venkatesh Kakumanu and Mani Aegurla in supporting roles. Vasuki Vaibhav has composed the music.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s much-awaited period drama Love & War, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Kaushal, is one of the biggest Hindi films currently in production.

With a star-studded cast and massive expectations, the film has already generated strong buzz among movie lovers. However, the latest OTT deal has caught many by surprise.

According to industry reports, ZEE5 has secured the digital streaming rights for around Rs 25 crore. The figure is quite low and is being discussed widely in trade circles.

Many expected a much higher amount given the scale of the project and the popularity of its lead actors. But it looks like OTT giants are in no mood to buy OTT rights for such huge prices.

Set against a period backdrop, Love & War is scheduled for a grand theatrical release on January 21, 2027. Stay tuned for more updates.