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šŸ”„šŸŽ¬ Tollywood Shock: Director’s Brand Value Losing Charm in Telugu Cinema?

TL;DR šŸ“Ā ā€“ Telugu movie buffs are no longer blindly trusting big directors or flashy pre-release events . Instead, they are waiting for solid content and killer trailers . AR Murugadoss’s latest film MadharaasiĀ is struggling to grab hype despite having Siva Karthikeyan in the lead, while other films are trending without promotions. Audience verdict: director’s ā€œbrand nameā€ alone can’t sell tickets anymore šŸ’„.

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The Telugu film industry is witnessing a serious vibe shiftĀ . A biggie dubbed film, MadharaasiĀ (releasing September 5, 2025), starring SivaKarthikeyan, is finding zero buzzĀ even after a proper pre-release event . Meanwhile, another dubbed flick Kotha LokahĀ managed to trend without any event, purely through organic chatter . This shows one thing crystal clear – today’s Telugu audience cares about quality, not just names. A good trailer, strong content, and positive buzz on social media are becoming the real game-changers .

Even in Madharaasi’sĀ event, people didn’t focus much on the film. Instead, the highlight turned out to be SivaKarthikeyan’s comments about Telugu films grossing ₹1000 Cr and RukminiVasanth’s packed line-up of upcoming releases .

Now comes the director angle . Once upon a time, AR MurugadossĀ was a national-level director with hits like GhajiniĀ and Thuppakki. But in Telugu states, his brand value took a major beatingĀ after flops like SPYderĀ and SikandarĀ . People now doubt if his films are worth watching on day one. Even his promotional statements about Salman Khan and 1000 Cr films didn’t convince fans .

On the flip side, some directors still enjoy massive crazeĀ just for their name . Example – CoolieĀ may not have been a hit, but the hype was real thanks to the director’s image. Big names like LokeshKanagaraj, Shankar, and ManiRatnam can still pull audiences into theatres even before the trailer drops . That’s the power of brand director.

But here’s the twist . Despite low buzz, MadharaasiĀ might still have a chance to shine. Why? Because there isn’t much competition – only GhaatiĀ and Little HeartsĀ are releasing around the same time. If word of mouth turns positive, AR Murugadoss can make a comeback in Telugu cinema .

šŸ’” MediaFx People’s Take

This whole scenario shows a healthy change from the people’s perspectiveĀ . Audiences are no longer ready to waste hard-earned money šŸ’ø on big names without proof. They want value for ticket price, strong content, and real entertainment. It’s a reminder that cinema survives not on hype, but on the support of ordinary people who fill the theatres .


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