Some directors are giving real headaches to producers, raising their temperatures and blood pressure.
For example, Peddi, the Ram Charan starrer, is being made on a whopping budget, and all that it needs is a perfect pan-India landing and success.
Naturally, anyone would expect perfect planning and strict adherence to deadlines. But that didn’t happen with Buchi Babu Sana, the film’s director.
Buchi Babu had almost four years after Uppena to plan and get into this film, Peddi. Yet, with only 30 days left for release, the film is still pending with two song shoots, not just one, as many reports suggested. Apart from an item song, there is another song that still needs to be completed.
The point to be underlined is that Ram Charan has been giving his dates as scheduled, and the producer is pumping in huge money. Yet the director is failing to meet deadlines, thanks to his inefficiency.
Another point to be highlighted is that multiplex chains like IMAX in the USA ask for the content at least 10 days before release; otherwise, they levy a penalty.
This means that technically the film should be censored, locked, and uploaded by the 20th itself. But at the current pace, many doubt whether that will happen.
Ram Charan needs this film to become a big hit at the national level, and for that, the promotional campaign should happen very aggressively across the country.
Another shocker for the producers, according to insider sources, is that Ram Charan reportedly wants the film to be shown to Sukumar, and that it should release only after his approval. If he suggests any small changes, they are expected to be incorporated.
While Buchi Babu Sana may be Sukumar’s protégé, bringing Sukumar in to apply his inputs at this fag end could cause further delays. How much time would Sukumar take, and what kind of changes might he suggest?
The bottom line is that it wouldn’t be sufficient if the film works only in Telugu and collects around Rs 300 Crore –400 crore gross. That is not what Ram Charan is expecting.
Considering the kind of budget incurred, the producers too may not gain much with such numbers. The film should break several records and emerge as a nationwide blockbuster with phenomenal collections.
For that to happen, there should be peace of mind for the producer, the hero, and the director to promote the film properly.
This Buchi Babu Sana episode with Peddi should serve as a lesson for directors on how not to handle big-budget films like these.
