The Hindu Business Line : Growing market for Telugu movies in US

EDISON, a small town in New Jersey, would screen Venkatesh-starrer Subhashchandra Bose on April 21, a day earlier than cinemas in Andhra Pradesh would do.

It is not the only US town that is going to screen the movie. Cinemas in Dallas, Detroit, San Jose and seven other towns too would show it, indicating the growing market for Telugu films.

The fact that rights of a Telugu movie in the US market can fetch up to Rs 45 lakh shows how it is evolving into a major market for Telugu film industry.

Though it is a small amount, when compared to what Hindi or Tamil films get for producers, the good news is that the market is growing.

"A few years ago, the market for a Telugu movie was just $3,500. It's gone up to $1,00,000 now," Mr Prasad Potluri, the promoter of telugucinema.com, told Business Line.

There are at least 35 centres that screen Telugu movies, major ones being California, New Jersey, Virginia and Detroit.

Mr D. Suresh, promoter of the leading film production company Suresh Productions, thought that the US market was small for the Telugu industry. It, however, has good potential and was picking up. Dubai, the UK, Australia and Malaysia also held promise.

Films starring top actors like Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna and Venkatesh got the lion's share in the US.

"Some of the hits of other actors back home also do well. It is a small market and doesn't contribute much to the overall collections of a movie," Mr Krishnavamsi, senior director, felt. The growing market, however, was hit by several roadblocks, piracy and increase in ticket prices.

"Price of tickets has gone up to $10 from $6. Also, people are able to buy good quality DVDs within three months of a film's release," Mr Prasad said.

Expansion of Telugu TV channels like Gemini and Teja also posed a threat to the market.

"If a movie doesn't do well in Andhra Pradesh, there is a possibility that it can offset its losses in the US market. This might not hold good for all the movies, though," Mr Prasad said.

Mr A. Chandrasekhar Reddy, a project manager in US-based technology outsourcing company, said there were not many theatres in the US that showed Telugu movies a decade ago.

"Now there are many theatres showing films, giving NRIs an option to watch new movies," he said.

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