Leo’s Hindi Belt Disappointment: This is how the makers of Leo missed the golden opportunity to make Thalapathy Vijay’s Film the biggest hit of Tamil cinema in the Hindi belt. Check out the 5 reasons!
Lion A highly anticipated Tamil movie Lokesh KanagarajAn outstanding director with a 100% accuracy rate and Talapati VijayAn actor at the peak of his fame. The film has a star-studded cast, an exciting trailer and unconventional expectations. It is setting new records worldwide with improved ticket sales, and ticket booking trends are on par with blockbuster sequels. Baahubali 2 And KGF 2Except Hindi.
Interest in Hindi dubbed versions of Tamil and Telugu films is on the rise as viewers look for “masala content”. Movies like this Baahubali: The Beginning, Baahubali: The Conclusion, Robot 2.0, KGF: Episode 1, Saaho, Pushpa: Ascension, RRR, KGF: Episode 2, And weighbridge broke box office records not only in their respective industries but also in the pan-India market.
If Lion The makers had promoted the film more aggressively, especially for the Hindi release. Lion Joining the league of pan-Indian hits from South India could be a huge achievement. When Lion When it was announced, there was a belief that it could help Tamil cinema break into the Indian market, given the high expectations around it.
Let’s discuss how the makers of Leo missed the golden opportunity to make Thalapathy Vijay’s Movie the biggest hit of Tamil cinema in the Hindi belt.
lack of promotion
One of the main reasons for missed opportunities is lack of promotion. During Lion, Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and starring Thalapathy Vijay, the film is highly anticipated in Tamil, the same cannot be said for other languages, especially Hindi. Tamil cinema has struggled to attract Indian audiences to theatres, with a few exceptions like 2.0. Leo has the potential to make a significant impact in Hindi with Vikram’s enthusiasm and reach and garner a box office collection of ₹100 crore just like Pushpa. But the opportunity was wasted. It is unfortunate and disappointing that the makers did not introduce Leo specifically in Hindi. A little promotional effort could have made a big difference, but they chose to ignore this market.
Star cast cut for pan-India success
Thalapathy Vijay is already popular in North India with audiences seeing his dubbed movies on YouTube and satellite channels. Sanjay Dutt’s casting showed that Leo makers are targeting the Indian market. The presence of Sanjay Dutt, as well as Vijay, is an important factor in attracting the audience to theatres. He was an important part of KGF 2’s success in Hindi. A trailer released about his character attracted great attention. Leo producers could cash in on his casting and position the film strongly in Hindi. But not a single interview about Leo came from Sanjay Dutt.
A strong buzzing presence
Leo created a tremendous buzz in North India. It was one of the most anticipated movies of 2023. The film gained serious momentum in the Hindi belt. The trailers of the film published on YouTube attracted the attention of the audience. Fans were eagerly waiting for a big release. Even though Vikram wasn’t a huge success in Hindi, the LCU connection made the audience excited about Leo and looking forward to it. The makers could have trusted this strong rumor and taken the Indian market seriously.
Leo’s universal content is perfect for pan-India
If you look at why Pushpa has had a dream run in North India, it is because audiences can connect with the mass masala content of the film and Allu Arjun’s characterization of Pushparaj.
Leo seems to be a film tailor-made for Indian audiences, it has a strong and unique content; talented actors; acclaimed technicians, opulent production values, high-octane action sequences and chartbuster music. This is exactly the recipe for a blockbuster in Bollywood. In Bollywood, the audience was deprived of such films for a long time.
A big mistake at National Multiplexes
National multiplexes like PVR, Inox and Cinepolis refused to screen the Hindi version of Leo as the filmmaker released the film on the OTT platform within four weeks of its theatrical release instead of the stipulated eight-week period. .
This is a major setback for Leo as the film is also being released in the IMAX format and most of the IMAX screens are located in northern India, potentially depriving the film of the significant box office revenue associated with this premium format.
Latest news of IMAX India gives opportunity to pre-screen Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon in India by a week to October 27 for Leo, while National cinemas release in North India for Leo It would be a big advantage. released the movie.
All is not lost for Leo. The Hindi version is still releasing on 2000 screens in North India and the pre-bookings so far are truly impressive. It can survive in theaters and run for a long time in theaters, provided the word of mouth is good.
Lessons for Tamil filmmakers
Tamil cinema has a long way to go to achieve the pan-India status that Telugu cinema has already achieved. The main reason for this is that Tamil filmmakers are not making any serious efforts to capture the Indian market. To reach a wider audience, Tamil filmmakers can follow in the footsteps of their Telugu and Kannada counterparts who have successfully captured the Hindi market by making dedicated efforts.
