Emerging as a ‘silent storm’ with minimal promotion, Saiyaara has collected Rs 274 crore in just 14 days since release, sparking curiosity among filmmakers and audiences alike.
The film was made on a reported budget of Rs 45 crore.
Interestingly, Kannada horror-comedy Su from So that employed a similar strategy of minimal promotion, also found success, collecting Rs 17.8 crore in a week.
In this context, ET spoke with film marketing experts, young adults, and a psychologist to decode Saiyaara’s success and whether it could impact future filmmaking and marketing strategies.
The intensity of Saiyaara’s marketing campaign was much higher after its release than pre-release and it focused more on showcasing audiences’ reactions (from emotional to exaggerated) than on their opinions, noted Harikrishnan Pillai, CEO and cofounder of digital marketing agency TheSmallBigIdea.“One must understand that the film’s frenzy was ‘captured’ in non-metro areas and ‘displayed’ in metro areas,” he said.According to marketing experts, Saiyaara’s makers hired small influencers in tier-2 and tier-3 cities to create videos that focused on audience reactions.
As these videos became popular, many users (not hired by makers) joined the trend by creating their own short videos or reels. This added to the film’s popularity and triggered a favourable algorithm on social media, experts said.
Besides this, the makers piqued audience’s interest in the film by not exposing its lead pair.
“The makers did not allow Saiyaara’s lead pair to socialise and over-familiarise with audiences,” said Nidhi Bubna Sadhwani, head of marketing and digital at Red Chillies Entertainment. “They held back on any promotional stuff. So, I think, there was an intrigue about the lead pair in terms of what they could do. This was exciting for audiences.”
The film’s music and trailer also played a critical role in creating favourable buzz, especially among young adults, experts said.
Film marketing experts also believe the release time was a paramount factor in lifting Saiyaara’s box-office fortunes.
“You feel amazing about a familiar thing if it is given to you after a long time,” Pillai of TheSmallBigIdea said. “There has been a romantic musical film drought period. Saiyaara’s release quenched this hunger.”
The film’s themes also largely resonate with young adults, experts said.
“It is a cleverly made film. It seems that the makers have considered often-discussed topics on social media,” said Tejas Nirbhavane, a clinical psychologist. “Scenes containing subjects such as nepotism, mental health, deserving people not getting opportunities, traumatic past, and commitment issues in relationships are shot as reels to appeal to young adults who have a short attention span,” he said. But psychologist Nirvbhavane believes Saiyaara lacks emotional depth to a certain extent. “The film handles serious issues superficially,” he said. “It lacks moments which show the hero’s unwavering commitment towards his lover after he decides to choose her over his dreams.
However, Shruthi Narayan, a 27-year-old content writer, observed, “Young adults live in a world of dating apps and casual hookups. For them, ‘devoted love’ feels like a dream. They romanticise exclusivity and even the most basic form of commitment.”
So, has Saiyaara created a marketing template for future films?
Well, film marketing experts believe they play only a small role in the fortune of a film.
“Filmmaking is not about marketing templates,” said Yash Suchak, cofounder of Grey Alchemy, a boutique marketing agency known to market tentpole films in India. “A film which has a strong story and genuine heart will always find an audience.”
Marketing only works till the film lands in theatres, experts said. Subsequently, only a film’s content elongates its life in theatres.
“Even amidst the wave of Saiyaara, who would have predicted the multi-lingual animation film Mahavatar Narsimha to perform so well? It’s a testament to the enduring power of storytelling,” Suchak said.
