Are Influencer Premieres Badly Affecting Tollywood?

Back in the day, when there is huge impact of print and TV journalism, filmmakers used to buy paid-editorial slots and paid-interview slots, only to promote the film. Later, the reviews used to come only after the film’s release, and most of the reviews would honestly tell how the film is. Later, the same is getting repeated in digital journalism also. However, the arrival of social-media-centric influencer promotion is now changing the game.

Right from Bollywood to Tollywood, many producers these days arrange special screenings for social media influencers well in advance, so that they will promote the film along with the talk of the movie. While they are promoting a super positive talk for the film, a couple of days later, on the film’s release date, the critics are giving average ratings for the same film. And that’s usually spreading negative talk around the movie due to this clash of opinions, thereby affecting the footfalls of the movie.

Though some producers say that small films get a huge advantage with influencer promotions, as that could make the reach go deep into rural areas, that should be limited to only promoting a film, but not giving positive reviews well in advance. At the end of the day, it’s the content of the film that brings the audience, not ‘positive’ paid promotions. Tollywood should rethink its strategies.