Stop Blaming Audience, Start Making Good Films!

After the onset of the Covid pandemic, the cinema watching patterns of the Telugu audience have varied largely. We are not witnessing a train where the audience are primarily queuing up to the theatres just for the sake of it.

If we observe the recent patterns, it is evident that the audience are stepping out to watch the films in theatres only if they are able to deliver the right kind of content.

But in the meanwhile, a few people have been assessing that the Telugu audience have gradually moved away from the theatrical market, and this is an alarming trend. But at the heart of it, the issue is lying with the kind of films that are being made rather than the audience who are the end product who are going to receive it.

For the past couple of years, we’ve been constantly hearing that audiences are not coming to theatres and that people aren’t interested in watching movies on the big screen anymore. But if we speak openly and look at the reality, that’s not entirely true.

Just take a look at recent examples audiences rushed to theatres to watch HanuMan, DJ Tillu 2, Vaarasudu, Court, Pushpa, Waltair Veerayya, and others. These films drew huge crowds, proving that people still love the theatrical experience if the content connects with them. The problem isn’t the audience.

The real issue is when filmmakers fail to deliver stories that resonate. When a film has good content, strong emotions, engaging storytelling, or pure entertainment, audiences show up. So let’s stop blaming the audience. If makers focus on quality cinema that truly entertains or moves people, theatres will always be full. Audiences haven’t left, they’re just waiting for the right film.

This is the crucial assessment that Tollywood must get to terms with and act accordingly, rather than pushing the blame on audience.