The content isn’t the only thing that matters for a film’s success. There are other factors at play. Perhaps the most important one is the producer. Arjun Reddy was backed by Sunil Narang of Asian Cinemas, Pelli Choopulu was supported by Suresh Babu and Uyyala Jumpala was given strength by Nagarjuna and Suresh Babu. So what do big producers do for small films?
“For any film, the distribution is very important. For Pelli Choopulu, we approached Suresh Babu, he was impressed and agreed to join us. Our film became big and we were able to release it on more screens. The audience was also interested to know why a big producer was backing this small film,” says Raj Kandukuri. He teamed up with the same producer for his latest film Mental Madhilo.
Vijay Devarakonda became a name to reckon with after Arjun Reddy. “I just saw the teaser of the film and thought that it had something new and interesting,” says Sunil Narang of Asian films.
The film released in nearly 300 screens, which is no small feat. Sunil released it all over with premiere shows and it became an instant hit.
“Though I supported him, the credit goes to director because he came up something new,” says Sunil.
Raj Tarun entered the industry with a bang, all thanks to Uyyala Jampala. The film was supported by Suresh Babu and Nagarjuna.
“It’s not about a big producer alone. First it is the content and then marketing and then it is proper exploitation. The audience have to pay the same money for a small film or a big film. So unless there is something that attracts them, they will not flock the theatres,” says Suresh Babu. He adds, “If I had my way, I would release such films on fewer screens and add in the second week of the film.”
One problem with small films these days is the content is not promoted well. But there are some exceptions. “I showed the film to many celebrities two weeks before the release. It spreads positive chatter on social media and through word of mouth, it helps the film,” says Raj Kandukuri.
Today, directors like Tharun Bhascker, Virinchi Varma, Indraganti Mohan Krishna, Kalyan Krishna and actors like Nani, Raj Tarun and Vijay Devarakonda are popular because their films have found big backers.
Though many newbies get noticed through such films, the same isn’t true for the backers.
“It’s in the interest of the industry that I promote small films. Else, the next set of stars, directors and musicians won’t come up,” says Suresh Babu.
