STRIKER may have proved a damp squib at the box-office, but Studio 18 is thrilled at the response the film has garnered on You Tube. The film was premiered on the net the same day it was released theatrically in India. A nominal fee [$ 4.99] was charged for viewers in U.S., while viewers across the globe [except India] got to watch the film for free. The revenue was generated via ad support on You Tube.

"Till Monday evening, the film had been viewed by around 2.25 lac viewers across the globe. Frankly, we didn't expect the film to generate such enthusiasm, but the numbers have brought cheer," Hemant Bhardwaj of Studio 18 confirms. 

Bhardwaj is not in a position to state the kind of revenue the film has generated on You Tube. "We should get to know the exact numbers by the month-end. It's a first for us and the first for You Tube too," he states. 

The strategy could pave for additional revenue for film-makers/studios. "That's right! A film like ISHQIYA doesn't get released in U.K. Similarly, STRIKER doesn't open in U.K. and U.S. due to absence of face-value. So what choice do we have? How do we beat pirates, who will anyway sell the pirated stuff in open? That's why we decided to premiere the film on You Tube and reach out to viewers at one go," Bhardwaj reveals. 

The distributor feels that it's just the beginning. "We may explore newer horizons in times to come. Right now we're just testing the waters. But it could turn out to be a really big territory tomorrow," he confides.

Taran Adarsh