Battlefield Kollywood

 

It used to be a trend with top Tamil stars like Suriya, Karthi, Vishal, and Vikram, who enjoy a big market in Tollywood, to go all out to promote their Telugu dubbed versions in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Even Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, who have been enjoying their success at the Telugu box office for years, have started promoting their movies by attending events of their films like Linga, Cheekati Rajyam, Vishwaroopam etc.

 

But now it looks like there’s also a reverse fad that’s catching up fast among Tollywood superstars! Recently, the Tamil version of Rajamouli’s Baahubali was promoted extensively with all the stars including Prabhas, Rana Daggubati among others in Chennai to publicise the film in all possible ways. Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu also promoted Selvandhan, the Tamil-dubbed version of Srimanthudu, in Chennai. Now it is heard that Ram Charan and dad Chiranjeevi will be in town in October to promote the former’s upcoming flick Bruce Lee The Fighter.

 

For Mahesh Babu, it was like homecoming. 

 

Born and brought up in Chennai, Mahesh reasons out to DC his decision to endorse the Tamil dubbed version.

 

“Srimanthudu is a film which talks about a bond between father and son, besides romance and action — and Tamil audiences would connect to it well. We have shot at many places in Tamil Nadu and there are several actors and technicians from K’town like Sukanya, Sampath, DSP and Madhie who are part of  the movie.”

 

Ram Charan also enjoys a huge craze at the Tamil box office as his earlier Tamil dubbed movies like Magadheera, Orange have done good business. 

 

In an earlier chat with DC, Charan said, “I was born and brought up in Chennai. I am fluent in Tamil and I am keen on doing a straight Tamil film.”

 

Yet another facet to this topic is that when small-budget Tamil films with lesser-known actors find it difficult to get theatres for their release, the Tamil-dubbed Telugu flicks find an easy way to release on more than a hundred screens in Tamil Nadu. Veteran Rajaraja, who writes dialogues for Tamil-dubbed Telugu movies, says, “For the last 30 years, I have been writing for dubbed Tamil movies including Chiranjeevi sir’s films. Recently we dubbed Charan’s Yevadu. Charan has a phenomenal number of followers in Tamil Nadu and hence the film could get many screens for its release.”

 

Sources say that actors like Allu Arjun, Balakrisha and Nagar-juna have also decided to follow suit.