Mirzapur and other Amazon Prime shows witness budget cuts

The OTT service is realigning the finances of various series in view of the Covid-19 crisis

Major Over-the-top media services have started to realign their budgets in order to adjust for the economic impact caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Indian culture journalist Rajeev Masand reveals that both Amazon Prime and Netflix have decreased their budgets for series that was commissioned months ago, reported Hindustan Times.

Developers of popular television show Mirzapur the second season of which has already been shot before the lockdown was enacted, have agreed to reduce their profit margins with the crew and creators alike taking pay cuts. While Amazon itself hasn't confirmed it as of yet, there were reports that the second season of the much beloved show would premiere in August this year. However given the current circumstances, it is possible that the release maybe shuffled.

Likewise Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK have agreed to sort out the finances of Manoj Bajpai starter Family Man in a similar manner. The show is slated to be released in October this year but there is a possibility that the release will be pushed t September, reported Wink Report.

Made in Heaven creators Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti, on the other hand, are cutting down the number of episodes rather than moving on towards pay cuts. The show was supposed to film certain scenes in Italy before the lockdown. Akhtar recently had shared a picture of a script written for an episode in season 2 letting people know that she was still in the midst of writing it.

Additionally, Amazon has announced the release of seven new Indian films. These include the Ayushmann Khurrana and Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Gulabo Sitabo, Vidya Balan-starrer Shakuntala Devi, and five other regional language films.  Also on Friday the first season of Paatal Lok, produced by Anushka Sharma and starring Jaideep Ahlawat also premiered receiving positive reviews. Many have gone on to praise the acting particularly that of Jaideep Ahlawat and Neeraj Kabi.

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