Leading Telugu distributors are worried over the rates demanded by Tamil filmmakers these days. Without knowing that Tamil star Suriya’s market has taken a beating in Telugu states, the makers of his upcoming film ‘Kanguva’ are demanding more than Rs 20 crores for Telugu dubbing rights. “They are charging a bomb without knowing that Suriya's market has fallen drastically in Telugu states. So distributors are shying away and not showing much interest,” says a distributor. He admits that 'Kanguva' is a different film and has generated a lot of hype for its new backdrop and Suriya’s new avatar.
“Suriya is looking very different and he is bound to rock with his performance but his previous movies have failed to impress Telugu viewers, so Telugudistributors are having second thoughts,” he adds.
He claims Suriya's market expanded in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana after big hits like ‘Ghajini’, ‘Veedokkade’ and much bigger hit ‘Singham’. “Thereafter his films failed to set the box office on fire among Telugu viewers as films like ‘Seventh Sense’ and ‘Brothers’ couldn’t draw more eyeballs and gradually he lost his market,” he adds.
No doubt, the promos and poster of ‘Kanguva’ have made a great impact on Suriya fans. The film aims to be a raw and rustic visual feast. The scale of the movie is massive as the makers seem to have invested a lot on VFX and CGI. “Telugu rights could fetch them just Rs 11 or 12 crores but it would be risky, if they invest more in this action adventure,” he concludes.
