Full Demand for Telugu Movies in Tamil Nadu now!

Big Tamil films being put on the back-burner and their releases delayed in Tamil Nadu due to the unexpected early announcement of elections as well as the all-pervasive cricket mania, a new trend has emerged in Kollywood

Most of the screens in the state are occupied by either straight Telugu flicks or their dubbed versions. If you look at the recent theatrical releases in TN, the films of young Telugu superstars like Jr N.T.R., Allu Arjun, Mahesh Babu and Ram Charan Tej are receiving a good response.

Jr N.T.R.’s mass masala film Om Shakti was simultaneously released in AP and in TN, in its direct as well as its dubbed version recently. While the Telugu film was released in 15 city theaters, the dubbed version had 80 screens.

Comments Murali Ramanarayanan, who distributed Om Shakti in TN, “Dubbed versions of big stars like Nagarjuna, Venkatesh, Rajashekar and Siddharth enjoy a good market in the city. In some of the big towns like Madurai, Coimbatore and Salem, direct releases of Telugu flicks of Gen-N actors like Allu Arjun, Jr N.T.R., Ram Charan and Mahesh Babu, are a safer bet for us. Even if they run for a week, we collect our money.”

Close on the heels of Om Shakti’s success, another Jr N.T.R. starer, the three-year-old blockbuster Kantri, directed by Meher Ramesh, dubbed as Pookiri Paiya, will be released soon. An added advantage for its producer Sharada Reddy is that Kantri features Hansika Motwani in the lead, who is a hot sensation in Tamil now.

Producer Prabhu, who is releasing the Mahesh Babu starrer Kaleja in Tamil as Bathra in 80 screens in the state, is confident that it will do well. “Since the making style in Tamil and Telugu is almost the same, Tamil audiences are able to relate to and enjoy the mass masala movies which are made on a grand scale. The added advantage is that there is more glitz and glamor in T’town movies.”

Nagarjuna’s recent hit Ragada is also being dubbed as Vambhu and will be released in May in 90 theaters. Vambhu has been given an A certification by the regional censor.

Ram Charan Teja’s record-breaking hit Maghadheera, which had Kajal Aggarwal in the female lead, is now releasing in Tamil as Maaveeran.

Abirami Ramanathan, president, Chennai exhibitors’ association opines, “It’s a stopgap arrangement. More than dubbed Telugu films, it’s the straight films which are doing good business in my theaters.”
Meanwhile, one hears that Teen Maar, the TollyWood movie starring Power Star Pawan Kalyan and Trisha, will hit screens this Friday in more then 15 city's in Tamil Nadu .