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Top Telugu films set to hit small screen
The telecast of big-ticket films like Baahubali and Srimanthudu on MAA and ZEE channels respectively even before 100 days of their release, has changed the game of satellite business in T-town.
ENTER THE DRAWING ROOM
- Telugu TV channels splurging money on big-ticket movies
- They have no money for content-based stuff
- Producers fear films getting telecast within one month of their release will face lesser footfalls at theatres
Hyderabad: The telecast of big-ticket films like Baahubali and Srimanthudu on MAA and ZEE channels respectively even before 100 days of their release, has changed the game of satellite business in T-town.
Few years ago, Telugu films used to be telecast on small screen after six months or one year of their theatrical release. However, the scenario has changed now with channels now running hurry to recover their investment at the earliest.
According to sources, MAA has reportedly bought satellite rights of Baahubali part 1 and 2 for whopping Rs 25 crore (first part alone for Rs 13 crore), whereas ZEE has paid Rs 11 crore for Srimanthudu). As a result, they are rushing to telecast them during festival days to rake in the moolah.
“Both these channels would have made Rs 8 to Rs 10 crore together in the first screening during Dasara and Diwali through advertisements, but they have a long way to go to recover since repeated telecast will fetch them diminishing returns. When it is difficult to recover Rs 7 crore investment on small screen due to limited Telugu film viewership, imagine the risk these channels have taken,” says producer Nayeemuddin.
After exhausting their budgets on big-ticket movies, these channels have almost stopped buying small and content-based movies, leaving hundreds of producers in dock. “Small film producers used to make content-based films hoping to recover 40 per cent of their budget through satellite rights, but now producers are not keen to make thematic and non-star films.
With 20-odd crore, these channels could have bought 20 to 25 small Telugu films, rather just two films, and offered some variety to their viewers. I can’t make a thoughtful film like ‘Aa Naluguru’ in the present scenario,” laments director Chandra Siddartha. With channels insisting on agreements for satellite release within one month gap, it’s bound to affect footfalls at theatres.
“It’s true that some channels are insisting to release films within one month of its release. Then ladies and family audience will not rush to theatres once they know that they can watch it in a month’s time at home free of cost. There should be some considerable gap like in the past, but who is going to listen,” says Prasanna Kumar, general secretary, Telugu Film Producers Council.
By BVS Prakash
