Mirai (Telugu) and Lokah: Chapter 1 — Chandra (Malayalam) have revolutionized the thinking that a fantasy/superhero genre movie will take nothing less than a three-digit budget anywhere in India.
Lokah was produced by Dulquer Salmaan. As per him, its budget was not more than Rs 30 Cr. The visual quality, though, was spectacular. Had the film been made with a male superstar, its budget would have been Rs 100 Cr at the very least, with 70% of the budget going into his fee and mounting huge action set pieces.
A similar sentiment is being expressed after the release of Mirai today. This time, it feels all the more special because a Telugu production house and a Telugu team are at the centre of the debate. The film's budget is said to be about Rs 60 Cr. The VFX shots are exemplary. Had the same movie featured a male superstar, its budget would have been nothing less than Rs 200 Cr.
Producer TG Vishwa Prasad has stated in the past that his production house's specialty lies in controlling costs. Good for him that he has figured out how to do it. Maybe Mirai will be the starting point for People Media Factory's endeavour to develop an evolved ecosystem in Tollywood.
