It travels faster than any other medium, comes free of charge, and has no barriers. That’s the power word-of-mouth holds. Now, this medium is bringing smiles to the faces of film industry-wallahs, who otherwise spend crores to promote their films.
Recently, when filmmaker Kabir Khan, known for blockbusters like Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Ek Tha Tiger, said the Chandu Champion team is happy with the way the film is “growing” and the “incredible” word-of-mouth it is receiving, it just highlighted the power this medium holds. Chandu Champion, riding on positive word-of-mouth, saw a 42.11% jump on the second day and collected `6.
75 crore, according to rough data. Recently, actress Vidya Balan pointed out how films no longer work based on promotion, and it is only word-of-mouth that makes or mars a movie. Even Vijay Sethupathi’s new film, Maharaja, directed by Nithilan Swaminathan, experienced a significant boost in box office earnings on its second day due to positive word-of-mouth.
Bollywood commentator Balaji Vittal cites the blockbuster movie, Sholay as an example. “There was so much hype about promotions for the film that it should have gotten off to a rocking start, but it didn’t. It took a wonderful couple of weeks for people to say, my God, what a movie this is,” he says.
He says glitzy and glamorous movie launches ensure that the first two or three shows, or maybe even the first two days, go off well. “But when the first reviews come out and when word of mo.
