This remake now on OTT

When many filmmakers say that’s difficult to get a remake to click at the box office than an original film, the issue is indeed real. C/O Kancharapalem, distributed via Suresh Productions, lacked any star power but proved to be a surprise hit in Telugu, responsible for ushering in a wave of indie-spirited films. However, when the film was remade in Tamil as C/O Kaadhal by veteran filmmaker, producer Hemambar Jasti earlier this year, it failed to get the ticket registers moving.

Hardly four weeks after its release, C/O Kaadhal has landed on Netflix. C/O Kaadhal earned decent reviews upon release, with many conveying that the film had captured the soul of the original. Telugu actors Karthik Rathnam and Kishore had also reprised their roles in the Tamil version.

The film, though finished much before the pandemic, waited through the lockdown phase and didn’t go for a direct OTT release. Yet, the move didn’t pay off. That’s indeed the mystery of this business. It’s never enough if one makes a good film alone – it needs to be backed by the right casting and promotional strategy too. It’ll be interesting to see if C/O Kaadhal be able to win audiences on the OTT platform.