Telugu cinema mid-night premieres: Is social media negativity becoming a bigger threat?

The reaction to The Paradise on its premiere proves that the movie-watching experience has transformed drastically in the social media age. The response was so overwhelming that even Nani expressed surprise out in the open. But this is not the first time that such a scenario has taken place. Similar occurrences have been witnessed for multiple big-ticket films, and it is only a matter of time before such a trend begins to dictate the reception of movies in the future.

There was a period of time when a star’s film had a certain amount of breathing room after its launch. A Chiranjeevi or Balakrishna movie may have had rival fan groups, but they were still willing to wait for the time being. The overall public reaction, however, is no longer being delayed.

Once a film premieres, people can begin their discussions on X, Instagram and YouTube. Negativity does, however, tend to travel much faster than positivity, so reactions that criticize a film tend to spread like wildfire shortly after the premiere.

Social media negativity has also affected some YouTube reviewers’ ability to present balanced reactions to fresh releases.

The number of views one could expect from a review praising a film would be vastly lower than if one were to criticize it. As the result, the first couple of hours of a film’s release are now dominated by people looking for problems rather than enjoying the film. As a consequence, film crews are now having a significantly more challenging experience. The first weekend, instead of focusing on the audience’s reaction and the film’s box-office success, the production team must deal with constant online negativity.

At the same time, however, it is unfair to blame the entire fault on social media. If a film has terrible content, then no matter how much money is spent promoting it on social media, the audience will not like it.

One additional factor worth considering is the combination of premieres and price hikes. Some of the recently launched movies, including Peddi, Toxic, and The Paradise, have been embroiled in a controversy over expensive ticket prices and VIP premieres. If a film’s cost is significantly higher than expected, audience members’ expectations may also be affected. A minor weakness that would have gone unnoticed previously may be criticized.

It is not necessary for filmmakers to give up premieres and price hiking completely. However, it is crucial for producers to understand that such decisions frequently provoke more criticism than praise in the current Telugu cinema landscape.

After all, one thing is apparent, content is the best defense against social media negativity. The overall reaction to the film will always be dependent on the audience’s experience with the content. The filmmaker’s primary goal should be for the product to be able to withstand the scrutiny that comes with the territory almost immediately after the launch.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Suhas Sistu

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Suhas Sistu, born in a family with education background, brought up with good principles and education. Though, coming from Engineering backdrop, his love towards language and passion towards cinema made him to pursue career in film journalism. Started his career as a freelance content writer for some Youtube channels, he later joined HANS India as a translator. From translator to Reporter/Sr. Sub-Editor, his journey is continuing in our organisation.

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