The Paradise may have ended up disappointing many viewers, but there is one thing the film proved beyond doubt: genuine pre-release hype can completely change the opening game.
Nani and Srikanth Odela’s film received negative word of mouth after release and eventually crashed. Yet it didn’t crash immediately. The film managed to put up a strong fight for a few days because the hype before release was exceptionally high. The premiere shows, Day 1 numbers and initial rush were all driven by that excitement.
Even with extremely negative talk, a section of the audience still wanted to experience the film because the pre-release hype had convinced them that it could be something special.
Now, Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna’s Ranabaali, directed by Rahul Sankrityan, is arriving on October 16 as a Dasara release. The film is trying to garner attention through its teaser, documentary-style promotional videos, Vijay’s posters and Rashmika’s look.
However, there is one important difference between The Paradise and Ranabaali. The Paradise had sky-high hype before release. Ranabaali has attention as Vijay Deverakonda is coming up with a different film. Despite his flop streak, audiences are curious to see what Vijay has come up with this time. But the buzz has not yet reached the level of The Paradise.
Today, films are fighting for their theatrical business within the first one or two weeks. A massive pre-release buzz is essential to create the opening required to recover the investment quickly. The Paradise showed exactly how far genuine hype can take a film, even when the content eventually fails to sustain it.
Now Ranabaali has to create that same level of excitement and, more importantly, back it up with strong content. It needs a strong opening and also a consistent long run for two weeks minimum as the costs are high for a Vijay Deverakonda market who is struggling with flops.
The trailer is now expected to be the biggest boost. If the trailer delivers and the film gets positive word of mouth, the Dasara holiday period could give Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna a huge chance to score big at the box office.
We have to see whether Ranabaali can turn into a box office storm in the coming days.
