Why Tollywood Stars Are Cutting Down Film Promotions This Sankranthi

In recent years, film promotions have changed a lot across Indian cinema. Earlier, Telugu stars were seen everywhere before a movie release, giving interviews, attending events, and meeting fans. But this Sankranthi season, Tollywood seems to be slowly moving towards a Bollywood-style promotion trend, where stars limit their public appearances and focus only on a few key events.

This year’s Sankranthi lineup includes The Raja Saab starring Prabhas, Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu featuring Chiranjeevi, Bhartha Mahasayulaku Wignyapthi with Ravi Teja, Anaganaga Oka Raju led by Naveen Polishetty, and Naari Naari Naduma Murari starring Sharwanand.

Among all these actors, Naveen Polishetty is the only one actively promoting his film. He has been giving interviews and interacting with the media regularly. In contrast, Prabhas, despite having a strong fan base in the Hindi market, chose not to attend any Mumbai promotions for The Raja Saab. He limited his appearance to the film’s pre-release event.

Megastar Chiranjeevi also followed a similar path. With just days left for release, he avoided media interviews and is expected to appear only at the pre-release event of Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu. Ravi Teja, for whom Bhartha Mahasayulaku Wignyapthi is an important film, has also stayed away from promotions so far, except for the planned pre-release function. Sharwanand, too, has not interacted with the media and is expected to make a single appearance at his film’s event.

This trend clearly shows that Tollywood stars are reducing promotional activities and adopting a Bollywood-like approach. Despite taking high remunerations, many actors are restricting promotions to just one major event. While this strategy creates curiosity, it also raises questions about how much star presence truly helps a film connect with audiences before release.