For small films, it is common for makers to talk big before release. They need to create curiosity, pull audiences to theatres, and make the film look like an event. So some exaggeration in promotions is nothing new.
But sometimes, those statements go a little too far.
We saw that recently with Rao Bahadur. Before release, the team spoke about it in a very big way. Some even said it was the kind of Telugu film other industries would proudly talk about like Baahubali or RRR. There was also a statement calling Satyadev the next Kamal Haasan. After watching the film, many felt Rao Bahadur was a decent and sincere effort, and Satyadev did perform well, but those pre-release claims clearly sounded exaggerated.
Now, a similar thing seems to be happening with Chennai Love Story.
Writer-producer Sai Rajesh has made a very bold statement about the film. He said Chennai Love Story will be three times better than Baby, which was not just a blockbuster but a film that connected strongly with youth and became a hot topic of discussion on social media.
Sai Rajesh said he has already watched Chennai Love Story ten times and strongly believes the film is not just twice, but three times stronger than Baby in terms of emotion. He added that making a good film is in their hands, while turning it into a super hit or blockbuster is in the audience’s hands. But as far as the team is concerned, he said they are very confident that they have made a great film.
That confidence is good. But this is also where the risk begins. Baby is the very film that gave Sai Rajesh his strongest identity as a filmmaker and writer. The moment he himself starts saying Chennai Love Story is three times better, expectations will naturally shoot up. Audiences will not walk into theatres with a blank mind anymore. They will go in expecting a much bigger emotional high than Baby itself.
And that can be dangerous.
If the film really delivers at that level, such statements will only help. But if it turns out to be merely decent, these comments will come back and hurt it. The problem with overhyping a small film is not just trolling. It is that the film ends up fighting against its own promotions.
Producer SKN has also joined the hype. He said July 24 is a special date for him as a Mega fan because Indra and Tholi Prema were released around that time and became blockbusters. He expressed confidence that Chennai Love Story too will become a big success in the same way. He also revealed that the film will have large-scale paid premieres on the previous night.
On one hand, it is refreshing to see a team stand by its film so strongly. On the other hand, recent examples have shown that talking too big before release can backfire badly if the film does not fully match the hype. Rao Bahadur is a fresh reminder of that.
So now the big question is simple:
Is Chennai Love Story really that good? Is it genuinely a film that can match or even beat Baby emotionally? Or is the team simply pushing aggressive promotion to make sure the film opens well?
That answer will come only after release.
