Telugu mid-range cinema is currently grappling with dual challenges – budget constraints and marketing issues. Popular and tier 2 actors like Sai Dharam Tej, Varun Tej, Sharwanand, Kalyan Ram, Vishwak Sen, Gopichand, Nithin, Vijay Devarakonda, Nag Chaitanya, Nani, and Ravi Teja are facing these hurdles.
Budgetary concerns loom large, requiring a minimum of 45 crores and a maximum of 75 crores for these heroes films. Also, Tier 2 heroes remuneration plays a significant role; exceeding 10 crores raises the budget to 40-45 crores, while exceeding a range of 25-30 crores elevates it to 75 crores.
Marketing is another stumbling block, especially for non-theatre markets. Except for a few like Nani and Vijay Devarakonda, others struggle without a theatrical release. Factors like banner, genre, and star power influence marketability. The theatrical market, particularly in Andhra, Ceeded, and Nizam, demands at least 25 crores. However, the challenge persists as not every mid-range hero finds a theatrical market.
A unique issue surfaces concerning marketing expenditure – despite investing 15 to 25 crores, the theaters may not recoup the same amount. Hits like Nani’s “Hi Nanna” faced difficulty in collecting from theaters despite positive reviews. Ravi Teja’s “Eagle” is expected to collect only 15 crores from the Telugu states. So achieving 25 crores is becoming big task for Tier 2 heores. However, if they can not achieve it, then it’s getting lot of loss to distributors.
Because of this concern, many tier 2 actors, including Sai Dharam Tej, Vaishnav Tej, Varun Tej, Gopichand, and Sharwanand are not getting much chances. So, if same circumstances persist, tier 2 heroes may face challenging times unless remunerations are adjusted or profit-sharing models are adopted.
