(Our reader Naveen Raju sends this opinion letter to us)
Dear Charan,
I maybe a stranger to you but you aren’t and certainly not the Legend who pro created you, I have been a huge fan of your Father, he has inspired me, he has emboldened my views and in many ways been a great role model for me, I have never met him, I don’t intend to meet him as well, I trust my connection with him is stronger that way and the enigma remains as mystic as I always wanted it to be.
I was very glad when I first heard KPC (Konidela Production Company) rolling out #SyeRaaNarasimhaReddy with a huge star cast and Bahubalisque budget, who better than a son to understand the needs of a landmark film and cater to it with perfection, I congratulate you on successfully completing the product in the best way possible and this is conspicuous from the visuals of the songs and trailers it’s evident the technicians and Director have used every penny of yours to majestic effect, Tommorow when we see the film in theatres I’m very sure we all will be swept away with beatitude emotions that only a MEGASTAR can give us and has been giving us for the better part of last quarter century, you sure must have left no stone unturned to get the gigantic project into motion and ensuring every department gets the right resources and monetary support for this project to materialise, So far so good..
Like all big products, #SyeRaa also needed extensive and bull dozed marketing to create ripples across India, since you are releasing the film in 5 languages its a foregone conclusion that you want this film to reach wider audience and pan Indian base, a film which aims to reach pan Indian base needs blitzkrieg marketing and promotions, these days there are many who promote a hollow product as utopian product, with #SyeRaa you probably are sitting on one of the most author backed powerful product to ever come out of Tollywood after Bahubali, yet you seem to care too less to go on aggressive marketing .The juke box of this film released 32 hours before the first show of this film screens ini Kuwait, this is abominous act, there were no promotions in the North belt via various shows and press meets that usually are associated with the Bollywood market, every thing that was planned happened in last 3 days, who does that.. Who would want to have a solid product in their hand and hide it in their closet? I even paid a visit by spending my own money to Excel Entertainment office and requested them to promote #SyeRaa more aggressively, I’m sure that request must have fallen into deaf ears.
The poor promotions aside, even the advance bookings aren’t opened in majority of cities with top Multiplex partners like PVR or Inox, I understand there are negotiations that happen between a Distributor and Exhibitor over percentage and other issues but these are to be done much before, not 24 hours away from the movie release. It sends out very poor signals to everyone who is excited.
You are acting in #RRR film, I’m sure Rajamouli will make another grand spectacle and I’m also sure he will redefine the marketing blitzkrieg of Bahubali again, is it too much to expect from you even 25% of the efforts that Rajamouli puts on promoting his films?
In many of your speeches I listen to you as how passionate you are about realizing your fathers dream project and everything, where is this passion when it comes to marketing your films, as a Megastarophillic I may enjoy the film and watch it repeatedly which is what matters to me end of the day, but seeing how the world around us is moving in smart way to reach wider base and seeing that we are sitting on a majestic product but unwilling to promote it makes me really cringe, I couldn’t help but write this letter to express my dissapointment with the way this film was marketed or handled in terms of release, I truly wish no major film has to undergo this streak of. Poor promotions , nevertheless I wish you and my Megastar the very best for the film, I truly want him to win the National award for this film, he deserves it and much more.
Yours Faithfully
Jai Chiranjeeva
exact thoughts of all mega fans…..indeed the most perplexing thing is the fact that bookings for the movie are not yet open for major multiplex chains even now! After putting more than 100% in making of the movie its difficult to digest that they are not going the extra mile during the finish line…..Moneywise its the loss of distributors, exhibitors and producer only but we are unable to digest this fact as fans
Correct thougts Sir, but you have to understand the psyche of Bollywood and North Indians. Remember, however good a South movie is or however good marketing is done of South movies, it would always be a gamble because Bollywood and North audiences are always biased and there is no guarantee they will appreciate a South movie that too when a Bollywood movie is released around. So why will the distrbuters unnecessarily risk such a huge money on marketing and generally negative reviews are given by critics and audiences trying to find some or other fault. So those in Northern belt who are real lovers of good cinema will somehow find ways to see, no need to worry about others.