Talk: Taking Risks Is Bearing Them Fruits

Most top production houses in Tollywood today are operating more like a movie business like a corporate company rather than film studios. The calculations are simple. How big is the hero’s market, how many elevations does the script have, and how can it recreate the mass hysteria of Pushpa or Kantara, happens to be the main calculation rather than the artistic side of it. Everyone focuses only on non-theatrical business these days, such that their investment would be safe.

Despite all these carefully designed formulas, the success rate remains surprisingly low. When the success rate is below 5% in the film industry, senior producer Ashwini Dutt’s Vyjayanthi Movies and their sister concern, his daughter’s Swapna Cinema, are doing the opposite of the routine. Rather than chasing trends, they are building something unique, and Sing Geetham is the example. Backing a 94-year-old director is something any other producer wouldn’t do. Though the film might not be a commercial blockbuster, while it recovers the production costs through OTT sales, the film earned more ‘respect’ than anything else.

Such creative attempts are not new for this production house led by Ashwini Dutt, as they have made many such risky attempts. While making Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari with Chiranjeevi, and Kalki 2898 AD with Prabhas are viable, despite the high budgets involved, movies like Sita Ramam and Jatiratnalu made with relatively low-impact heroes and high budgets are a big risk. Mahanati is an even bigger risk. However, all these risks paid off, though the banner has also seen some earth-shattering flops, which caused major losses in between. Despite those losses, Dutt and his daughters are not stopping to take risks, and those creative films are bearing fruit.