Is the hype for Adipurush real? Here are the marketing gimmicks geared to attract cinema-goers

Hyderabad: There has been a huge hype around the Prabhas and Kriti Sanon starrer Adipurush since the day of its announcement, even though it was negative in the beginning. The teaser received backlash from the audiences for its poor VFX quality. This backlash led to the postponement of the film from January 8 to June 16.

During this period, director Om Raut reworked the VFX and CG part and came up with a trailer that looked a lot compared to the teaser. The response from the audiences for the trailer has increased the confidence in the makers and the PR team has come up with promotions and offers to draw audiences of all age groups to the cinemas.

Is this the first Ramayana on the big screen?

No, not at all. Across the country, especially in the north and the Telugu market, multiple television shows and movies were made based on The Ramayana. In fact, for the Telugu audiences, it was former chief minister of erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh NT Ramarao who is known as the face of Lord Rama.

Adipurush is just the latest version of The Ramayana with the current lot and popular actors. Also, Adipurush is based on the Aranya Kaanda and Yudha Kaanda episodes. So, this is not a new story but an age-old story that is being told again.

The marketing gimmicks

The pre-release event was in Tirupati where Chinna Jeeyar Swamy, the religious guru and yogi ascetic known for his spiritual discourses was the chief guest. Director Om Raut during the pre-release event announced that one seat will be reserved for Lord Hanuman at every cinema hall where the movie will be screened. He believes that Hanuman will come to watch Ramayana

This increased the senior section of the audience and also has become a USP for the screenings. This attracted a lot of audiences to book their tickets and worked as a soft corner towards the makers. There were rumours that the seat next to the 'Hanuman seat' costs more than a regular seat.

Soon, actors Ram Charan Tej and Ranbir Kapoor announced they will be giving away 10,000+ tickets to underprivileged kids. This immediately attracted the fans of those actors and they started supporting Adipurush. Many such fan committees have come forward to buy tickets in bulk and distribute them among friends and family.

Senior citizens/kids to watch more

The movie is expected to attract a lot of senior citizens who would find their way into the cinema with their families. A lot of parents would want their kids to come and watch the film. Also, some of the NGOs, institutions, schools, political parties, and offices are planning to watch it together. This is not because of star power but because of the topicality of the film.

3D becomes the cherry on the cake for businesses

The big-budget multilingual film reportedly made on a budget of Rs 500 crore, will release in 3D and 2D across the globe on June 16. 3D is one of the main factors why young parents would want their kids to watch the film as it would be a lot more interesting for the kids and easy for the parents to tell the story of The Ramayana.

Trade experts predict the film could do business of more than Rs 80 crore on its opening day in theatres in the north and are comparing its pre-release buzz to Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Pathaan.