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Urge to splurge
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Film makers find the choice between spending lavishly and on budget, a difficult one
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ANY PRODUCT NEEDS PROPER PACKAGING AND VISIBILITY. WHY DOES A BOTTLING COMPANY SPEND SO MUCH ON SELLING THE SAME DRINK WITH THE SAME LOGO FOR SO MANY YEARS? PRODUCER LAGADAPATI SRIDHAR
SCREEN SHEEN About Rs. 50 lakh was spent on the publicity of `Style'
Filmmaking is a brutal business. The stakes are high and every Friday is Judgement Day. The audience is ruthless when it comes to delivering the verdict.
In this backdrop, most producers know that they have to package their product well to make it a hit. Sounds rational, but lavish muhurats even during recession, pricey hoardings and almost embarrassingly extravagant campaigns precede the making of the film and when the film's shooting is wound up, the audio function is lined up to raise the buzz. Does the blitzkrieg help the film?
Nandamuri Banerjee, first time producer, but a man who has spent 28 years as an editor claims that he is in control of his budget and his forthcoming film Aganthakudu has a separate allocation of around Rs. 25 lakh for publicity. He agrees that a great idea is worthless without planning since a business of Rs. 15 crore is involved per film and even the hero expects the producer to spend money on the right kind of publicity.
Says Lagadapati Sridhar. "Like you build a house, conduct a marriage, making a film is also a huge emotional task. There has to be a celebration at every point whether you like it or not. Any product needs proper packaging and visibility to get sold. Why does a bottling company spend so much on selling the same drink with the same logo for so many years? As a producer I market my film to the buyer and then see how best I can draw the viewers to the theatre. I kept Rs. 50 lakh aside for the publicity of Style. For me, success is measured by terms of how much the movie is liked by people." Producer Madhu Murali who has made 13 films thinks otherwise. "It's absolutely unnecessary to spend so much money on the inaugural and audio functions. There is no guarantee the film will do well if you spend so much. If the film is not good, nobody will watch it. A good title and posters should do work. For Yuva, I spent a lot but later realised that the expenditure is a waste. On the other hand, for Khadgam, I didn't even hold a press meet but it was a great success."
Y. SUNITA CHOWDHARY
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