Hyderabad: S.S. Rajamouli’s much-awaited magnum opus, Baahubali, has been creating a buzz from day one – constant publicity surrounding the film in the media. While the film will be released in Tamil and Hindi, sources tell us the film hasn’t managed to create a stir amongst the Hindi-speaking audiences.
In fact, industry insiders are surprised that Karan Johar is releasing the Hindi version of the film. “The film doesn’t have a chance. Dubbed movies of even Rajinikanth are not received well. Karan has no connect with Rajamouli. Everyone’s surprised with his association. Moreover, you have Salman Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan coming up in the same month. People would rather go for that than Baahubali,” says an insider.
Though Rajamouli is a popular director with a flawless record till date, history has it that South Indian films do not have much of a market in the North. For the film to really work in Hindi, Karan’s marketing team will have to do something completely out-of-the-box.
Dharma Productions has another big worry. Exhibitor Akshay Rathi says, “The film is releasing during the peak of Ramzan, which completely cuts off the Muslim audiences. If they can withstand that, then Baahubali can hold its ground.”
Though the film’s Hindi trailer has received a decent response, there has not been any other promotional event. With the film releasing in less than a month from now, alarm bells are ringing. However, distributor Anil Thadani, who’ll be releasing the film in the Hindi-speaking region, says that the promotions will start this weekend, which will give them a window of four weeks – something that has never happened for a dubbed film before. “We’re treating it like an Indian film, rather than a dubbed film. So whatever happens with a normal Hindi film, we’ll be promoting it like that,” Anil adds.
The lead role is being played by Prabhas, who’s relatively unknown to Hindi-speaking audiences. Only Rana Daggubati and Tamannaah have some face value up North. According to trade expert Komal Nahta, it’s the content and visuals that could work for the film, not the stars. “I would treat Baahubali as a new star-cast film for the Hindi-speaking audience. And sometimes, such films also do good business,” Komal adds.
However, with Karan at the helm of the promotional strategy for the Hindi release, Baahubali producer Shobu Yarlagadda has supreme confidence in his ability to market the film. “Baahubali won’t be a big star release in the Hindi-speaking region obviously. But it will have a market because Rajamouli’s films are known. It is more about the scale of the film so we are not depending on the artistes to draw in the masses,” Shobu adds.
Rana, meanwhile, believes that the fact that it’s the country’s first war film and the largest motion picture since the Mughal-E-Azam era, will entice the audience. “The way Baahubali has been projected in Mumbai, it’s not like a Robot or an I – dubbed South Indian films. What speaks is not the stars of the film, but its visuals. Getting our trailer attached to Dil Dhadakne Do has really worked as many around the country have noticed the film. Baahubali is a filmi experience. There’s no regional side to it,” Rana adds.
