Content-driven films thrive with support from big stars in competitive market | Mint

Laapataa Ladies and Meiyazhagan are both small-budget, content-driven films that have done well and won critical accolades. But there is one factor that sets them apart from similar movies across languages that get lost in the clutter—big stars as producers.

“The backing of mainstream stars like Suriya (for Meiyazhagan) and Aamir Khan (for Laapataa Ladies) lends credibility and garners attention to content-driven films that otherwise might struggle for visibility,” said Devang Sampat, managing director, Cinepolis India. “Audiences trust these stars’ judgement, leading to increased interest. Their involvement in promotional campaigns, even if minimal, helps reach a broader audience. This can lead to strong word-of-mouth marketing, critical for such films.”

Laapataa Ladies, a comedy drama directed by Kiran Rao and co-produced by Aamir Khan and made on a budget of ₹4-5 crore, earned ₹20.24 crore at the domestic box office alone. Meiyazhagan, a Tamil drama produced by actor Suriya, is eyeing box office earnings of ₹60 crore after being made for around ₹30 crore.

In today’s competitive landscape, stars acting as producers or promoters for smaller films can help in wooing a broader audience and making these films profitable in cinemas. This July, Kill, an action film backed by Karan Johar and not featuring any popular names as part of the lead cast, had clocked in ₹24.15 crore at the box office.

Most audiences are savvy enough to know the stars will not feature in the films themselves, and do not expect their presence in the promotional campaign to translate into an appearance in the film, industry experts say. However, their name helps in building stronger buzz around the project.

“Mainstream actors backing smaller, content-driven films do help leverage better marketing and publicity campaigns. The movies themselves do not come with the budget to manage big brand advertising. But this opens doors for extra screens and adds up to how the film is eventually perceived,” said Rahul Puri, managing director, Mukta Arts and Mukta A2 Cinemas. This is good use of star power even though the film ultimately has to be worth the weight to be put in front of the right audience, he said.

To be sure, several small-scale films, despite critical acclaim, have suffered because of inadequate showcasing in India’s cluttered theatrical environment. Titles like All India Rank and Joram only earned ₹35 lakh and ₹40 lakh respectively, with audiences either not aware of the theatrical release or cinemas unable to grant them significant showcasing. Further, many of these titles are perceived as subjects suitable for OTT viewing.

“Smaller films don’t usually manage proper showcasing in cinemas. Eyeballs come in and there is media attention when a name that is known for sensible cinema, comes on board,” film producer and distributor Sunny Khanna said, adding that it is easy for big actors and producers to back films in the ₹10-15 crore budget range. OTT deals are simple to crack given their reputation and theatrical earnings are a bonus, he said.