It's interesting that veteran Kamal Haasan actively promotes his films, whereas stars like Ajith and Dhanush prefer not to.
Published Jul 24, 2024 | 8:30 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 24, 2024 | 8:35 PM
A still featuring Kamal Haasan from 'Indian 2', Dhanush in 'Raayan' poster. (X)
While Tamil cinema has made significant strides in technical advancements and storytelling, it has yet to master the art of film marketing. We live in an era where a film’s fate is often decided by the end of its first show on release day.
With audiences’ attention spans shrinking, filmmakers and producers face the challenge of effectively promoting their films and drawing viewers to the theatres.
Kamal Haasan’s Indian 2 (2024), directed by Shankar, is a prime example of a well-promoted Tamil film in recent years. It was aggressively marketed nationwide, with promotional events held in various cities. Despite its extensive promotion, Indian 2 failed to make an impact at the box office and struggled to maintain momentum after its opening weekend.
Did the promotions not help the film at all? Trade analyst Trinath notes that aggressive promotions alone are not enough for a film to resonate with audiences. “A well-promoted film doesn’t guarantee success. Ultimately, the content is what counts, not the level of promotion. In the case of Indian 2, the verdict was clear on social media right after the first show, and that’s something no promotion can change.”
Does this mean that promotions are irrelevant and only good content is crucial? Trinath added that while promotions are important, they enhance the success of films that also have strong content.
Vijay Sethupathi during ‘Maharaja’ promotions. (X)
He cites Maharaja (2024) as the best example. “Vijay Sethupathi’s extensive promotion drew audiences on the first day, but it was the content that made an impact after the initial show. Even following its OTT release, Maharaja continues to receive praise on social media due to its impressive screenplay.”
In Bollywood, promotions are taken very seriously, often more so than in other industries. Producers frequently require actors to sign contracts for promotional activities as part of their film agreements.
Recently, 81-year-old Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan extensively promoted his film Kalki 2898 AD, participating in nearly every event organised by the makers.
Unfortunately, Tamil cinema lags behind Bollywood in film promotions, largely due to a lack of interest from lead actors.
For example, Vicky Kaushal recently made waves with his dance moves in the song “Tauba Tauba” from his latest film, Bad Newz. He actively participated in numerous events and even taught people the steps to his dance.
A director, who wishes to remain anonymous, notes that Tamil cinema’s promotional strategy usually includes a few media events and a public fan event, often more for show than for effective marketing.
“Most actors here are reluctant to step out of their comfort zones for promotions. They typically participate in a few events and consider it done. Unfortunately, this is insufficient today, and actors need to engage more actively in larger promotional efforts when planned.”
The filmmaker added that actors need to take a more active role in promoting their films since audiences primarily come to see their favourite stars on the big screen.
For instance, Dhanush has been largely avoiding promotions for his films for a while now.
With his upcoming directorial, Raayan, set for release on 26 July, and in which he also stars, there has been no promotional activity beyond the traditional audio launch.
‘Thiruchitrambalam’ poster featuring Dhanush and Nithya Menen. (Supplied)
In fact, Dhanush has not promoted his films for the past few years, and the exact reason is unclear. However, he did promote his first directorial, Pa Paandi (2017), quite effectively. He even gave one-on-one interviews to daily newspapers.
A trade analyst told South First, “The exact reason for Dhanush’s lack of promotion is unclear. Some believe it’s a personal choice, while others think it’s a strategy to generate curiosity. As a star, maintaining silence and avoiding promotion until the film’s release naturally piques interest and encourages fans to watch the movie.”
He also noted that Dhanush achieved remarkable success with Thiruchitrambalam (2022) despite having no promotions. The film, written and directed by Mithran R Jawahar, was backed by Sun Pictures, the same production house behind Raayan.
“Thiruchitrambalam proved to be a major success without any promotions, relying solely on its content, which distinguished it from other Dhanush films. It seems Dhanush aims to follow a similar approach with Raayan, letting the film speak for itself upon release,” the trade analyst observed.
Ajith Kumar was one of the first major stars to forgo promotions. The actor hasn’t attended a film-related event, including audio or trailer launches of his films, for over a decade.
In 2022, amid speculation that Ajith might promote his film Thunivu, his publicist posted on X, quoting the actor, “A good film is a promotion by itself. Unconditional love,” suggesting that Ajith would continue to avoid promotions.
Following Ajith and Vijay, several Tamil actors, including Jai, and Silambarasan TR, have also stopped promoting their films.
Ajith in a still from ‘Thunivu’. (X)
A Chennai-based producer, who wished to remain anonymous, stated that promotions are a crucial component of film marketing. “However, big stars can choose not to promote their films and still attract audiences due to their large fanbase. Nonetheless, this sets a poor example, as many other actors may try to follow suit. Unfortunately, this approach often negatively impacts a film’s box-office performance.”
The producer cited Rajinikanth, Nayanthara, Vijay and Ajith as examples, noting that despite their lack of promotions, audiences still flock to see their films.
“Due to their substantial fanbase, it doesn’t matter if they promote their films or not; audiences will still watch their movies. However, many younger actors are using this as an excuse to avoid promoting their films.”
He further noted that only a few actors show exceptional interest in promotions. “RJ Balaji is one of the few actors who takes a keen interest in promoting his films. He stays mostly inactive on social media throughout the year and becomes active only during his film releases. He even collaborates with his team to brainstorm and develop unique promotion strategies, especially for films he directs.”
The safe answer lies in this assumption. RJ Balaji is not a conventional actor; he grasps the importance of film promotions and thinking outside the box. His background in radio and prime shows, before transitioning to acting and directing, gives him a different perspective on marketing his films.
Nayanthara in ‘Mookuthi Amman’, directed by RJ Balaji. (X)
An assistant director told South First that promotions typically begin only in the last two weeks before a film’s release. “With most directors occupied with their projects until the last minute, promotions are often planned just a week before release. This leaves actors with minimal time for promotional activities.”
Ideally, promotions should be organised at least two months in advance, he urges, adding that most producers and filmmakers prefer to allocate minimal budgets for film promotions. “This is why most films settle for a few traditional promotional events. They face serious budget constraints.”
But is a lack of budget a valid excuse for not promoting a film? SS Rajamouli recently disclosed that he spent no money on promoting the Baahubali films (2015, 2017), instead relying on “brains and time”.
At the Baahubali: Crown of Blood (2024) press conference, Rajamouli stated that their entire budget was allocated to the film’s production. “When we said we spent zero on Baahubali, it meant we didn’t buy ad spots or pay for posters. Instead, we did a lot of homework.”
“We produced numerous videos and digital posters, and shared character reveals and making-of content. While we generated substantial publicity, we did it without spending money, relying instead on our creativity and time,” Rajamouli explained.
Trinath notes that Rajamouli’s approach to promotions, characterised by creativity and resourcefulness, is lacking among many filmmakers.
SS Rajamouli. (X)
“Most filmmakers are occupied with finalising their product up to 24 hours before release and neglect dedicated promotion time. Rajamouli, however, finishes his film well in advance and allocates at least two months for active promotions. For RRR (2022), he had his lead actors travel across the country with him for the film’s promotion. Without such commitment from filmmakers, promotions often become a superficial activity done just for show.”
(Edited by S Subhakeerthana)
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