1000 crore club: From ‘Baahubali’ to ‘Pushpa’, Telugu cinema dominates the box office

Historic moment for Telugu cinema started with SS Rajamouli Baahubali Movies. With this, the term ‘Pan India Cinema’ came into vogue and some Telugu, Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam films also achieved similar success at the box office.

back in time

Films from the southern states have traveled far and wide before through dubbed versions and remakes. Sureshbabu Daggubati, one of the veteran producers of Telugu cinema, recalls an early example – Chandralekha (1948): “The Tamil film (directed by SS Vasan) was considered an average earner, but the Hindi version (for which some scenes were re-shot, with some changes in the cast) was a big hit . Over the decades, many Telugu films like Ramudu Bheemudu And aunty Remade in other languages. Today, Telugu films dubbed in other languages ​​are widely accepted. I saw a social media post which said that this year’s biggest hit – Pushpa 2 – It is led by a Telugu actor (Allu Arjun) who does not speak Hindi. This is not an exaggeration.”

Sureshbabu credits these two for his success. Baahubali And Pushpa movies, RRR And Kalki, His ability to appeal to people at the grassroots level. “There was a time when Hindi cinema did not consider ‘mass’ cinema as fashionable; Some of his stories were for the NRI audience. They considered these mass masala tales difficult, but it has seen a resurgence. Our films are more emotionally connected; We have a better understanding of the preferences of the traditional Indian ‘mass’ audience as well as our Telugu software engineers living abroad. Our marketing has also become stronger.”

marketing of Pushpa Udaya It began a few days before its release in December 2021, when director Rajamouli, realizing the film’s potential, urged its director Sukumar and producer Mythri Movie Makers to dub the film in Hindi.

smart marketing

Allu Arjun in ‘Pushpa: The Rise’ Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Anurag Reddy, co-founder of marketing agency First Show, observed how Allu Arjun’s character, Pushparaj, resonated with audiences in the Hindi-speaking heartland. “The working class felt represented when Pushpa, after working hard to earn her wages, would sit cross-legged, unconcerned by the presence of her employer.” The phrase ‘Thuggade le’ (Hindi for ‘jhookega nahi’) spread like wildfire. In Pushpa 2: RulesPushpraj says his name is synonymous with not just fire, but forest fire!

Anurag says that the team’s strategy for the sequel is in line with the content of the film. Short video ‘Where is Pushpa?’ Remember. Released about a year ago? Although scenes from that teaser did not appear in the film, the video aroused curiosity. “The first poster and teaser showed Allu Arjun as a woman (during Gangamma). Jatara Celebrated in Chittoor region). It became a talking point as people started looking for cultural references. Each upcoming poster and promotional video was carefully planned. Since the actual footage of the song ‘Suseki’ might contain spoilers, a lyrical video featuring behind-the-scenes footage of Allu Arjun and Rashmika’s rehearsals was planned.

poster of Pushpa 2 The film was installed in all single screens and multiplexes across the country 45 to 50 days before its release. Anurag says that planning the trailer launch event in Patna was challenging. “The producers were willing to put in the extra effort. Police and IAS officers in Bihar were also cooperative. We were overwhelmed when more than two lakh people attended the event.”

Return of the Angry Young Man

‘Kalki 2898 AD.’ Amitabh Bachchan in | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

A few months ago when director Nag Ashwin Kalki 2898 AD. Were The post was released riding on the popularity of Prabhas-Baahubali Yug, the surprise package was Amitabh Bachchan as the immortal Ashwatthama. Showcasing Bachchan’s iconic ‘angry young man’ image of the 1970s and 80s, Nag Ashwin’s Mahabharata-meets-science fiction tale casts him as an ‘angry old man’ (as Prabhas does in the film Chutki Let’s take it), with action sequences. This, the film featured a futuristic spin-off of the epic stories and teamed up with an array of lead actors including Kamal Haasan and Deepika Padukone. Kalki’s Kindness.

Swapna Dutt, one Kalki’s The producer says, “We (he and his sister Priyanka Dutt) knew that it would be a big budget film with stars and visual effects. We were confident that the strong core element of the film – the story of Kalki’s birth – would connect with all Indian audiences. The complex world created by Nagi (director Nag Ashwin) gave a new visual experience to the young audience who enjoyed the Avengers films. Nagi had this idea in his mind for a long time and he approached Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan about the possibility of going ahead after Baahubali.

Swapna says that Prabhas being a larger-than-life star helps in drawing the audience to the theatres. “Once inside, there were more surprises. Everyone was happy to see Bachchan SAAB In action mode and Kamal Haasan as an opponent.”

NTR and Ram Charan in ‘RRR’

in the matter of RRRA well-planned promotional strategy by Hyderabad-based marketing group Walls & Trends took advantage of Rajamouli’s popularity.-Baahubali, And familiarity with NTR and Ram Charan, thanks to the telecast of dubbed versions of their Telugu hit films in Hindi over the years. The ‘Naatu Naatu’ (‘Naacho Naacho’) hookstep was an added advantage. Since the early 2010s, Hindi versions of Telugu films on Sony and Star Television Network have made stars such as Allu Arjun and Mahesh Babu popular among Hindi-speaking audiences.

Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Animal Another big blockbuster (grossing over ₹800 crore worldwide) directed by Hyderabad-based filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga, who had earlier remake his Telugu film. Arjun Reddy As Kabir Singh In Hindi, both were box office hits. Other films dubbed from Telugu that gained attention include Karthikeya 2, Salaar, Hanu-Man And Devara: Part 1, Salaar Benefited from Prabhas’s popularity and kgf-Famous director Prashant Neel.

During this time, Hanu-Mana Surprised. Made on a modest budget (reportedly around ₹40 crore), director Prashant Verma’s film showed that good quality visual effects are possible within a moderate budget and can complement the entertaining story of a Dalit hero who is saved by Lord Hanuman. Get superpowers from. Director Koratala Siva Devara: Part 1Captioned by Jr NTR, the actor’s post was availed by-RRR Popularity throughout the country. However, a large portion of its reported box office collections came from the Telugu states.

In making

‘Kalki 2898 AD.’ The part ended with Prabhas appearing in the form of Karna. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

for everyone Baahubali,RRR And Pushpa It becomes successful, many other big budget Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam films remain cold turkey.

A section of the audience laments the tendency of larger-than-life action entertainers to end with a cliffhanger – leading to a sequel – in order to cash in on the franchise’s potential.

However, that path may not be ending any time soon. Like sequels are in the pipeline Pushpa 3: The Rampage, Kalki 2, Salar 2, And Devara 2. are also in the pipeline Soul (Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s film starring Prabhas) and Rajamouli’s film starring Mahesh Babu. As Pushpa has announced that she is going international, some of these Telugu films are also in the process of forming international collaborations to further broaden the box office prospects.