A Decent Comeback But Missed Promotions!

Vijay Antony’s film Maargan released yesterday along with Kannappa. Thanks to Asian Suresh Productions handling the distribution, the film got a fair number of screens. However, the turnout for the morning shows was quite dull. Slowly, some buzz started building on social media, and that helped evening shows see a better crowd.

The film is a regular crime thriller, but director Leo John Paul’s approach worked well, especially for fans of the genre. Twists, screenplay, and the mild supernatural angle kept the movie engaging. Overall, this is probably Vijay Antony’s best outing in the last few years.

But there’s a big drawback, the film had almost zero promotions in Telugu. In Tamil, Vijay Antony has been actively promoting it, meeting the media and interacting with fans. That effort is clearly missing here. Though a pre-release event was held, it didn’t really reach the audience. Whether it’s a straight Telugu film or a dubbed one, publicity is key these days. See the kind of effort Manchu Vishnu is putting in promoting Kannappa. Promotions really matter.

Even if Maargan doesn’t need a massive push, a basic level of promotion could’ve helped it connect better with Telugu viewers. The audience is currently open to films that are above average, and Maargan fits right into that category. After Bichagadu, Vijay Antony hasn’t had a solid hit. Bichagadu 2 was okay, but the rest were disappointing especially the last three films. Interestingly, Vijay Antony didn’t just act in Maargan, he also composed the music. If the current buzz stays steady, the film might end up being profitable for the producers.