MUMBAI: Sandwiched between hit films running to packed theatres and a big release coming up the following week, Studio 18 released their small budget film Striker on Youtube.com alongwith the routine of format of getting theatres to screen their film. And surprises of surprises, the film has been declared a "goldmine" by the producers.

With Ishqiya still finding favour with audiences and My Name Is Khan due to release this Friday, Striker found itself in a corner. Speaking to Businessofcinema.com, Chandan Arora, the director of the film said, "We then decided to release the film on Youtube. It will have to be downloaded for the US and UK market, while Indian filmgoers could go to see it in theatres. This decision has apparently paid us rich dividends as the film has registered more than 2 lakh views on Youtube. This is four times the number Google and Studio 18 were expecting to count in the first week. They have referred to the Stiker deal as a "goldmine" in their message to me."

This rich haul has got other small film makers thinking. With the internet audience a new market has been tapped, where their film can be viewed sitting at home. Although this is a big trend in foreign markets, Indian film producers have been reluctant to opt for this route.

With small films not getting good timings in theatres due to more popular films, the producer of "multiplex films" get badly hit. But now that the waters are tested and have brought in the desired results, perhaps we can see more such releases on the internet.