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Controversy: The New-Age Publicity Formula in Indian Cinema
The Telugu film industry has steadily positioned itself at the forefront of Indian cinema—both in terms of filmmaking ambition and box office dominance. While scale, star power, and technical finesse have played a major role, a new and striking trend is now shaping the industry’s promotional landscape: controversy as a calculated marketing strategy.
In today’s overcrowded entertainment ecosystem, making a film is no longer the most difficult task. Reaching audiences and sustaining their attention has become the real challenge. With content flooding theatres, OTT platforms, and social media, visibility is the new currency. Traditional promotions demand massive budgets, often running into crores, with no guarantee of impact. To counter this, some filmmakers have adopted a more provocative approach—manufacturing controversy.
A single poster, a teaser frame, or a deliberately bold scene can ignite intense debates online. What begins as criticism quickly snowballs into nationwide attention, amplified by social media algorithms and news coverage. Even when controversies escalate to formal complaints, police notices, or interventions by social bodies, the film gains unprecedented publicity—often at no additional cost.
Filmmakers like Ram Gopal Varma and Sandeep Reddy Vanga have effectively leveraged this phenomenon. From Arjun Reddy to Animal, Vanga’s films faced sharp backlash over their portrayal of masculinity and relationships. Feminist groups, critics, and online audiences strongly opposed the content, yet the sustained discourse only widened the films’ reach. Vanga’s minimal response to criticism further fueled curiosity, reinforcing the idea that outrage translates directly into visibility.
This approach is no longer limited to one genre or ideology. Aditya Dhar’s Dhoorandhar benefitted from political and nationalistic debates that heightened public interest. More recently, the first look of Spirit and the teaser of Toxic triggered similar reactions, proving that criticism is no longer something filmmakers shy away from—it is actively harnessed.
What once threatened a film’s prospects is now being repurposed as a promotional tool. Controversy has evolved from a risk into a strategy, reshaping how films are marketed and consumed. This trend highlights a significant shift in Indian cinema, where attention—positive or negative—has become the ultimate driver of success.
