Several theories are floating around regarding why Uppena has been a surprise hit at the box office. Many have been giving credit to the aggressive promotions, quality execution, music and the right timing of its release for its success. All of these are certainly true but the hit wouldn’t have been possible without the many months of the release delay that gave audiences enough time to get hooked to Devi Sri Prasad’s music. His songs are certainly his career-best after Rangasthalam, incidentally coming from the same banner that produced Uppena.
If one recollects Alaa Vaikunthapuramulo too, the singles began releasing at least three months before the release of the film and by the time it had hit theatres, Thaman’s music was an earworm everywhere. It was a rare instance where every song in an album managed to strike a chord with audiences. This success story isn’t about music alone, this is a lesson for producers about the importance of timely marketing rather than stuffing all the content upon the audiences only a fortnight before the film release.
Geetha Govindam, Rangasthalam, 30 Rojullo Preminchadam Ela have been other films that have largely benefited from an early music release. Another film that has enjoyed considerable popularity with two of its songs becoming hits is Love Story, where Sekhar Kammula introduces a newcomer Ch Pawan as a composer. One needs to see if that helps the film translate into a box office success on April 16.