From TOI
DOOKUDU TOUCHES THE ONE BILLION MARK
The record breaking run of the Mahesh Babu-starrer shows that with smart marketing, there is no limit to what can be achieved
Karthik Pasupulate
As far as collections in Telugu cinema go, "Dookudu" has set a new landmark. Never before did a Tollywood film reach the elusive one billion rupee mark. But the Mahesh Babustarrer has done just that and has broken new ground by grossing 101 crore in its collections worldwide, in an unprecedented 50-day run at the BO. The significance of the feat can be measured by the fact that SRK's "Ra. One", currently stands third in the pecking order of highest grossing Bollywood films ever, with a net gross of 112,74,00,000.
Producer Anil Sunkara feels it just goes to show what a great film can achieve when marketed right. "When the pre-release hype was hitting a fever pitch, we (producers) toured all over the state, meeting fan associations and telling them that it was a family entertainer, and distributing merchandise like stickers, badges and ribbons," explains a beaming Anil.
In fact, the makers went all out to ensure that the film got the largest worldwide opening. Director Srinu Vaitla, says, "The film released in 1,600 screens and 89 theaters in North America. The global release happened in 21 countries including Canada, Botswana, Trinidad, South Africa, Netherlands and Finland for the first time ever." This strategy helped them pocket overseas collections of 22.4 core.
"We sent our people to ensure the premier shows happened smoothly. With a ticket price of $18, a small center with 2,000 viewers would guarantee returns of upto 18 lakh per show," says producer Ram Achanta. "It also helped that the dollar price hit the 50 mark around the time of release," adds Ram. The film released in 21 cities in North India, another first for a Telugu film.
Ram, who was in-charge of online promotions ensured the film reached maximum audiences. "We set up a Facebook page for the film 90 days before its release. I was in touch with fans and Telugu associations all around the world. People were abreast of most details about film and it helped build the anticipation," says Ram.
The strategy was simple. "We wanted people to be talking only about the film before the release. We had a special team monitoring ads in every TV channel. There was hardly a commercial break that did not have a "Dookudu" promo. We also put up 400 hoardings across the state," says producer Gopi Achanta.
Containing online piracy was, however, the biggest challenge. "We had special teams monitoring the Internet round the clock and blocking any site that put up a pirated copy of the film. Fan associations around the world and the anti piracy cell of the Film Chambers helped us immensely as did the police. We succeeded in preventing piracy for two whole weeks," says Gopi.
karthik.pasupulate@gmail.com
Moolah matters
Area-wise breakup of 50 days collections (gross)
Nizam: 28 crore Ceded: 11 crore Guntur: 6.5 crore Northern Andhra: 6.5 crore Krishna: 5 crore East Godavari: 4.5 crore West Godavari: 4.5 crore Nellore: 3 crore Karnataka: 8 crore TN: 1.5 crore Rest Of India: 1.25 crores North America: 17 crore UK: 1.25 crore Australia: 1.25 crore 18 countries including Canada, Dubai, Germany, etc.: 1.65 crores Total Gross: 101 crores
Mahesh Babu
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Current Affairs
