In terms of box office numbers, theatre footfalls and the sheer love and admiration for cinema, the Telugu film industry is on a whole other level. Just look at the Tamil industry for instance. Their population is about 80% of Telugu states’ population, yet their theatre footfalls is 40% when compared to their Telugu counterparts. Most importantly, stars in the Telugu film industry have a minimum box office guarantee, irrespective of the film turning into a hit or a flop.
With the exception of someone like Thalapathy Vijay, Tamil stars cannot claim to draw in x/y/z crores worth of box office collections, irrespective of the quality of content. Our stars have always been consistent in that regard, and the Telugu audience plays a huge role in ensuring this steady baseline of sustainable returns for all stakeholders in the entertainment business.
These sort of conditions make the Telugu market very desirable for outside players to come and try their hand at. Gnanavel Raja is the latest player from Kollywood keen to make his banner, Studio Green’s presence, felt in TFI. And it looks like he might just succeed.
Studio Green’s debut film Sillunu Oru Kaadhal was also equally successful in its Telugu dubbed version Nuvvu Nenu Prema. He struck a collaboration with key players in TFI like Maruthi and Allu Aravind by remaking Prema Katha Chitram as Darling in 2015.
Cut to 2024, the banner now wants to put a foot in the business directly by producing a straight Telugu film. Buddy, their maiden Telugu film, is scheduled to hit theatres on August 2. The film stars Allu Sirish in the lead role. Studio Green’s commitment to the Telugu film industry can be easily gauged by the fact that Buddy is not a remake of Teddy, as many people initially thought.
Gnanavel Raja, being the astute business mind he is, is aware that in 2024, nobody is interested in a remake. The era of OTTs & easy access to dubbed cinema have made remakes obsolete. So the makers of Buddy tweaked the story of Teddy in such a way that it is now an entirely different film. Buddy is also more commercial than Teddy, keeping in mind the masala-loving tastes of Telugu audience. People who watched Teddy can also watch Buddy and vice versa.
This kind of creativity is the need of the hour in the industry. As much as everyone loves an original script, the feasibility and bankability of a remake cannot be taken for granted. Creatively tweaking and readapting material is a win-win for all. Going that extra mile and revamping your own banner’s intellectual property shows that Studio Green respects the Telugu film industry and wants to be in this ecosystem for the long haul.
And this is not it. Sources close to Studio Green have speculated that the banner is already in talks with Allu Sirish for another collaboration. This either means they are certain about Buddy’s success or that they wish to keep moving ahead irrespective of the results on August 2. Either ways, this is good news for both Studio Green and the Telugu film industry.
Tags Gnanavel Raja
