When a film with the combination of Trivikram Srinivas and Mahesh Babu was announced, the trade expected an average film to bring blockbuster collections, especially in the U.S. market. Both the hero and director individually command a huge fan following in the market, and a glance at their collections from the U.S. makes that clear.
However, what happened in the case of Guntur Kaaram is entirely different. The film barely posted any big numbers once the word got out.
The primary reason for this is that times have changed. Although the director and hero combo has substantial value, it is important that the content should create excitement from the title announcement.
In the case of this film, not only the outdated title, but also the crucial teaser, trailer, and the very important songs—all failed to work in its favor.
The U.S. market has also changed significantly, with families no longer going to theaters for ‘regular’ films like Guntur Kaaram.
Take, for example, Hanuman. Not just the divine angle and VFX, but even Hanuman with average talk would have fared better than Guntur Kaaram any day in the U.S. in current market trends.
If you make a ‘regular’ commercial film with a Tier 1 star, it has to be out-and-out entertaining in every way to attract the audience and justify their ticket costs in the U.S.
For a family to watch a Tier 1 star film, it costs at least $125 – $150 easily or more, including other expenses. Therefore, a ‘regular’ film with mixed talk will not excite most people these days.
A mass movie from Trivikram or Mahesh Babu is never an issue for a Tier 1 star in the U.S. market. In fact, if done right, it will create wonders at the box office. The problem lies in only having half-baked content.
The lesson to be learned here is that when it comes to the U.S. market, there is no ‘gratitude’ or ‘extra’ soft corner from audiences for a big star or a star director. If the film creates excitement, it will reflect in the box office numbers; if not, the result will be like Guntur Kaaram.
