Mid-Range Hero’s High-Range Film Turns Headache

One big hit can change your market for sure, but it can also push you into your biggest risk. This mid-range hero in Tollywood has seen a career high with his last outing. After flops and personal setbacks, he finally had things coming his way. Instead of playing it safe after that project, he went bigger. Aimed at a Pan-India scale with Grand visuals and a bigger budget, he also decided to produce the film along with another partner, with an aim to make more money. That’s what turned into a headache now.

On paper, the mid-range hero’s moves looked like the right ones. The teaser created decent buzz to build expectations, at a time when OTT was booming, and recovery looked strong even for high-budget films. But here’s the catch. The project soon started facing issues with financial strain from the production side. A newcomer director handling a large canvas resulted in huge delays, leading to pressure and overcosts. The producer had already seen a similar situation before. A big fantasy hit, strong box office, but limited financial gain after parting ways with the director. That experience clearly didn’t translate into safer planning this time.

The film was planned in a phase where OTT money was flowing freely. Today, that market has cooled down, deals have become tighter, and Valuations are lower. And this film is still looking for a buyer. The film has neared completion, but the damage is already done in terms of cost and timing. Rather than building a strong career, the hero has wasted lots of time and efforts, is what people close to him say. The mid-range hero is said to be getting a big headache with this high-range film.