TOLLYWOOD CHALA PHOREN

TOLLYWOOD CHALA PHOREN

Local filmmakers are cashing in on the fact that T-town movies are making a huge noise in the overseas markets too

Suresh Kavirayani

Overseas is where all the moolah is! And this new realization has every Tollywood producer rushing in to cash in on the impressive revenues that can be recovered on foreign shores. Even a few years ago, Telugu movies released abroad only after they were released on home ground. But now filmmakers are releasing their flicks abroad on the same day it hits screens in India. And that's not all. Tollywood movies are being released with English subtitles to expand the overseas market further.
D Suresh Babu, who owns one of the top production houses in the Telugu film industry, agrees that the market for Telugu cinema is expanding like never before. "There is a huge craze for Telugu films starring top actors. Just like it is done in India, there have been instances in the US too, where Tollywood fans are performing pujas for life-size cut-outs of our stars!" reveals Suresh Babu.
It comes as no surprise then that the overseas market has become a crucial one for local filmmakers.

On foreign shores


"In countries like Uganda too, there are more than 500 Telugu people, who want at least one show of Tollywood films. So, we are now releasing the films in many countries," says Suresh Babu, who feels this bodes a great sign for the industry.
"Only 40 per cent of the films are releasing abroad as the demand remains strong just for movies starring Tollywood biggies. But this is just the beginning," he adds.
The new trend of releasing movies with English subtitles only adds to the profits. Supriya, executive producer of "Rajanna", which is the first Telugu film that was released with English subtitles abroad, says, "This is a novel practice in Tollywood, though it is common in Bollywood. Earlier, only a few countries had audiences who wanted to see our films, but now there is so much more demand from other countries. But still we have a long way to go when compared to Hindi and Tamil films. Nagarjuna is popular with the Tamil movie lovers and he also acted in many Hindi films. So, apart from the Telugu audiences, others too want to see his film. So, it only made sense to release the movie with subtitles."
With the number of NRIs increasing by the day in many countries, Telugu films play to a full house in the few theaters that screen them in different countries. "Tamil films are already doing really well in countries like Singapore and Malaysia. We have just started building an organizational structure to distribute Telugu films. Overseas business has become a key factor for filmmakers," says Supriya.
Moreover, this move also helps battle the problem of piracy. "Movie priacy remains a big problem in the industry. Just a few days after the movie's release, it is not hard to lay hands on a pirated DVD just for one dollar in Australia. So, releasing the movie simultaneously in India and abroad has become a great way to fight this issue," adds Supriya.
Talking about how important the overseas market has become for the industry, producer Dil Raju says, "Compared to the last few years, the overseas business for Tollywood movies is soaring and producers want to release their films in as many theatres as they can now. In fact, after Hindi and Tamil films, Telugu movies feature in the wish list of Indians living abroad. Things are only looking better as the Telugu film markets are expanding like never before."
suresh.kavirayani@timesgroup.com

A still from 'Rajanna'

A still from 'Businessman'

A still from 'Bodyguard'

(Clockwise) Stills from 'Love Failure', 'Endukante Premanta' and 'Nippu'