Two big-budget movies, Ajith Kumar’s Good Bad Ugly and Sunny Deol’s JAAT, are releasing in theatres this Thursday with great expectations. Both the films have immense buzz within their respective core industries as well as amongst Telugu fans. Surprisingly, though, Mythri Movie Makers has decided to limit the release of both the movies to one language only, severely limiting their scope in other markets, particularly Telugu.
This decision comes as a shock to industry analysts and fans alike, especially given Mythri’s previous track record of pushing boundaries with pan-India projects. The Telugu-speaking audience, which has shown increasing interest in big-ticket films across languages, finds itself left out this time—despite having strong regional connections to both films.
JAAT Gets No Telugu Release Despite Being a Telugu Production
Sunny Deol’s JAAT, written and directed by eminent Telugu director Gopichand Malineni and produced by Mythri Movie Makers in association with People Media Factory, is just the correct package for a Telugu release. The music of the film is being composed by Thaman, one of the leading Telugu composers, and the genre—a high-octane mass action drama—is one that has always worked in the Telugu states.
However, surprisingly, JAAT will release only in Hindi, with no dubbed or parallel Telugu release in sight. This left many industry people perplexed. With a strong promotions plan in place and the Telugu origins of the film’s core team, the film would have easily attracted decent collections from the Telugu belt. To put such a limitation on its release seems illogical, particularly for a production house such as Mythri that has always worked towards larger reach.
Gopichand Malineni and Thaman fans felt let down on social media and asked why a Telugu-made film isn’t being released in their native market. This step has necessarily capped the film’s overall box office and buzz potential in the South.
Ajith’s Good Bad Ugly Loses Out Because of Telugu Promotions Failure
Ajith Kumar has a good fan base in the Telugu states, courtesy his earlier dubbed releases. His recent film, Good Bad Ugly, directed by Adhik Ravichandran of Mark Antony fame, was originally intended as a pan-Indian release. Expectations were high, particularly after Mark Antony turned out to be an unexpected hit in the Telugu market.
But when the release date draws near, the situation is very different. Even the trailer of the film hasn’t released in Telugu or Hindi, which is a clear indication of a major retreat in the extent of its promotions. Many view this as a missed opportunity. Telugu viewers were all set to welcome the film, but the absence of effort put into localized promotions and no dubbed version has eliminated a major chunk of potential viewers.
Given the stylish action-packed nature of the film and Ajith’s mass appeal, many believed Good Bad Ugly had the potential to perform well across multiple states. Yet, like JAAT, this project too has been boxed into a single-language release, with all attention seemingly reserved for the Tamil version.
Mythri’s Uncharacteristic Strategy Surprises the Industry
This ambitious step by Mythri Movie Makers has made a few eyebrows rise. The production house is recognized for making fearless decisions in growing the market for Telugu films and funding pan-India projects. Be it Pushpa or Uppena, they have repeatedly demonstrated vision and ferocity in targeting varied audiences.
Therefore understandably, curbing both JAAT and Good Bad Ugly does not ring harmonious with what they’ve been doing earlier. Not just are these two high-budget films on the scale, but both contain sufficient Telugu flavor to call for wider releases as well.
Industry experts opine that Mythri could well have capitalized on the surging popularity of dubbed movies among Telugu audiences. In the last few years, well-marketed dubbed editions of Tamil and Hindi films, particularly action or star-oriented ones, have given outstanding returns in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Rather, by bypassing a Telugu release entirely for JAAT and suppressing promotions for Good Bad Ugly, Mythri appears to have lost out on reaching a major portion of the South Indian market.
Two Good Movies, One Shared Blunder
What adds to the confusion is that both movies had valid reasons to pan-India. JAAT has a familiar Bollywood actor in Sunny Deol, but with Telugu brains behind the camera and a mass-oriented plot, the movie could have introduced him more widely to the Southern audience.
Good Bad Ugly features a Tamil megastar with a sizeable mass base and is directed by a director whose previous film was the toast of Telugu audiences. The setting was right—the missing ingredient was delivery.
Mythri’s decision to not pursue dubbed versions or regional promotions suggests a lack of faith in the regional pull, or perhaps a strategic retreat due to over-crowded market conditions. Either way, this choice has diluted the buzz around two promising releases.
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Conclusion: A Risk-Averse Approach in a Risk-Loving Industry
In an era when pan-Indian popularity is assumed to be necessary for high-budget movies, Mythri Movie Makers has moved in a counterintuitive fashion. Whether one takes the omission of Telugu release for JAAT or restrictive marketing for Good Bad Ugly, these reflect an opportunity foregone to push the films and enhance box office collection.
Today’s audiences are more receptive than ever to content in all languages, and dubbing or multilingual release has most often proved to be profitable. For a banner like Mythri, which has a reputation for undertaking big-ticket projects and launching aggressive campaigns, this backtrack seems a bit uncharacteristic.
Finally, both JAAT and Good Bad Ugly will now bank solely on their respective initial markets—Hindi and Tamil, respectively—to bring success. The Telugu audience, which has stood by films cutting across linguistic divides, will be sitting in the sidelines this time around.
And to many, that is a disappointment.
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