Tamil films refrain from pan-India ambitions
Indian 2. Entertainment industry experts say Tamil film studios make no effort to promote their films in the north despite dubbing them in Hindi and top actors are mostly not available for marketing. Further, the cultural ethos of Tamil films remains strong unlike Telugu movies where actors dress and act much more like Hindi film actors.
Other than Kalki 2898 AD that has earned close to ₹290 crore from its Hindi version alone, other Telugu films to have broken out in recent years include RRR ( ₹274.31 crore) and Pushpa: The Rise-Part One ( ₹108.26 crore). In contrast, Kamal Haasan’s latest Tamil film Indian 2 had made ₹3.65 crore from its version dubbed in Hindi, while his last release Vikram had earned ₹6.64 crore. Another Tamil film Varisu, starring Vijay had clocked in ₹9.39 crore when released last year.
“Telugu cinema has cast its net wide and made a conscious effort to appeal to every section of the audience, that they’ve cultivated across the Hindi heartland, and states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. On the other hand, Tamil cinema remains rooted to a specific cultural ethos and sensibility," independent distributor and exhibitor Akshaye Rathi said. Tamil film directors and actors remain keen on characters dressing up and behaving in a way audiences in the home state are familiar with.
“Big stars like Vijay and Ajith don’t really come to promote their movies in north India or look at active marketing campaigns sustained over a period of time. The Tamil industry has extraordinary talent but needs to make an effort by design to make a proportionate impact," Rathi explained. The lacklustre effort in marketing and promotions by the Tamil industry is also mirrored in the way Hindi films are released down south, trade
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