Among the several tactics tried by filmmakers to promote their projects to ensure a grand opening and good numbers, talk around their massive budgets is currently a favourite. Be it Brahmastra (2022) or Prabhas-starrer Adipurush, buzz around the massive amounts spent on their making has been a major talking point.

Actor Milind Soman, who recently wrapped up the shoot of his new film Emergency, feels that while this strategy works for big-budget projects, it could also mean running smaller films out of the market. “When you are marketing, you have to use everything that you have and if one of the things is ‘Oh, we have spent a lot of money,’ then you have to say it. But then, unfortunately, for those who have not spent a lot of money, the perception is that it’s not a good film... or it’s a small film.”

Elaborating his point on small and big projects, the 57-year-old says that the general impression among viewers is that if a project is really captivating, it has to be on big scale. “Small films are also mind-blowing, and we have several examples of that, but the consensus is that it has to be something as grand as Avatar — which required a lot of money to make. Because then, people will go to watch it, irrespective of the reviews it gets. The curiosity that the makers have spent a billion dollars and what did they spend so much money on, is what brings the audience to theatres,” he notes.

On a different note, talking about how productions often spend massive budgets on promotions, Soman illustrates his point with an example from France: “They do not allow Hollywood movies to spend more money (on promotions). It has to be the same that the French spend to promote their films, because otherwise they will get washed out. I think it’s very important that there be parity in promotions of films — big and small,” he wraps up.