In Tollywood, producer Danayya appears to be the only luckiest man. Deals he struck years ago, and the relationships he carefully nurtured, are paying off big time today.
Rajamouli took an advance from only one producer in his entire career, and that was DVV Danayya. That advance was given many years ago, back when Rajamouli had not yet reached the Pan-India level. Since he had to do a film for Danayya, he made RRR. We all know what happened with that film.
It became a massive blockbuster, went on to secure an Oscar nomination, and even brought home a win. That was a rare jackpot.
Later, his relationship with Trivikram paved the way for OG. Now, making a film with Pawan Kalyan is not always a guaranteed jackpot.
We have seen how Hari Hara Veera Mallu, produced by A.M. Ratnam and directed by an experienced filmmaker like Krish, failed to create much buzz.
But OG, helmed by a younger director Sujeeth, has generated huge hype, and that is nothing but the good fortune of Danayya.
Coming to the business aspect, OG’s non-theatrical business alone has been staggering. OTT rights were sold for Rs 81 crore, audio rights for Rs 16 crore, and Hindi dubbing rights for another Rs 16 crore. That’s Rs 113 crore.
On the theatrical side, the numbers are no less impressive. Andhra rights fetched Rs 80 crore, Ceded Rs 23 crore, overseas Rs 13 crore (sold quite early, otherwise it could have been more given the hype), Nizam Rs 50 crore, and Karnataka Rs 7 crore. Together, theatrical revenue stands near Rs 180 crore.
So in total, the film has already generated around Rs 300 crore.
Coming to the cost of production, industry talk is that Pawan Kalyan’s remuneration alone is around Rs 70 crore, and even with other payments added, the total talent cost doesn’t cross Rs 100 crore. Production expenses hover near another Rs 100 crore. With interests and publicity, the overall spend is still comfortably lower than the returns.
Trade circles believe Danayya is looking at profits on par with the RRR level. No wonder people say, when it comes to luck in the film business, Danayya wears the crown.
