Telugu films hooked to promotional songs

Film promotions are no longer confined to glossy posters on giant billboards, trailers, etc. Telugu filmmakers have now given up on these triedand- tested methods of publicity, to try something new. In the process, they are now endorsing the latest marketing tool ��� a special promo song, to do the needful. The idea is to give film buffs enough to pique their attention and draw them to the theatres, a few weeks before the release of the movie.
The latest to join the bandwagon is Nani. As part of the film���s marketing strategy, the actor recently shot for an exclusive promotional song for the film, D for Dopidi. Speaking on the jazzy promo number, Raj Nidimoru, one of the producers of the film, says, ���We���ve always aimed at doing our publicity activities in fresh and funny formats to retain the uniqueness of the content. The buzz for the film has been good, and we want to keep the momentum going.We thought the promo song will definitely grab eyeballs and take the publicity activity to another level.���
Despite his movie tanking, actor Ram Charan���s Bollywood debut Zanjeer, saw him groove to a special promo song, shot on him and leading lady Priyanka Chopra. The peppy single, Mumbai Ke Hero, which has the lead pair showcase some slick moves, grabbed instant attention.
Actor-director Adivi Sesh, who shot the promotional number, Kissy Kiss, for his movie Kiss, explains that it was the urge to make the promotional activity unique that prompted him to shoot the video. ���Music is an integral part of our movies and hold equal importance alongside acting and direction. I wanted to add some musical value to the film albeit in a different manner,��� reveals Adivi Sesh.
Allu Arjun too shot for a promo video, Pakado Pakado, for his rom-com Julayi. To woo the fans of the stylish star, director Trivikram Srinivas shot the special number on Allu Arjun and Devi Sri Prasad at a city college. The number, which also has DSP crooning, was used only for the publicity campaign and became an instant hit with the masses. This song kept the film���s buzz alive. Quiz the film���s director Trivikram on why he chose to shoot a promo song, and he says, ���We planned to do a promo video for Jalsa (starring Pawan Kalyan), the tunes of which were composed by Devi Sri Prasad. Somehow, the idea didn���t work out. We thought of shooting a promo for Julayi, just to spice up the publicity campaign and keep the excitement alive among the fans. The response for the number was amazing.���
Meanwhile, Pawan Kalyan shot a promo song Nee Chura Chura Chura Choopule Panjaa, for Panjaa, which happened to be the title track. The song received great response from fans and film buffs alike. When fans thronged the theatres, much to their disappointment, the song was shown only during the end credits. This marketing idea, of getting fans excited about a song and luring them to theatres, has helped Tollywood in raking the moolah.
D Suresh, a leading distributor and exhibitor from West Godavari, says that contemporary film business is all about ���openings��� and the initial few weeks. And these openings largely depend on strong publicity campaigns. ���If the special video is unique and can pique the interest of the audience, it helps to increase the buzz, which in turn generates good openings. Moreover, filmmakers feel that if they can start their publicity campaign with the release of a promotional video, the positive buzz paves the way for an effective opening. Besides, the decision to watch a film in theatres is taken on the basis of collective impact of songs, ads and other marketing material,��� explains Suresh.