Veteran producer-distributor Dil Raju is demanding that the makers of Nitesh Tiwari’s magnum opus Ramayana aggressively ramp up promotions across South India.
Dil Raju, who is releasing the mythological epic in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, wants a meticulously strategised campaign to ensure the film resonates deeply in the Telugu states — especially after suffering financial setbacks with previous big-ticket films such as Yash’s Toxic.
He is anchoring the film’s theatrical release in the Telugu market through a massive deal valued between Rs 80 crore and Rs 105 crore on a returnable advance basis. Trade estimates suggest the film will need to gross around Rs 200 crore in the region just to break even.
Despite a stellar cast featuring Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana — who, after Toxic, is no longer being perceived by the trade as an asset to Ramayana — industry reports indicate that ground-level buzz in the South has been lower than expected. That is what has prompted Dil Raju’s push for a far more visible campaign.