Dil Raju: “Stop Living in Fake Hype—Let’s Start With Real Change.”
Veteran producer Dil Raju has stirred up industry buzz with his hard-hitting remarks on the prevailing marketing gimmicks in Tollywood, especially the overdependence on fake YouTube reviews and paid view counts.
In a bold statement, he urged fellow producers to stop spending lakhs on artificial online hype that doesn’t reflect genuine audience interest. “Don’t live with those falsehoods,” said Dil Raju. “Let’s bring in change—and let that change begin with me.”
The Problem With Paid YouTube Views
Dil Raju criticized the industry trend where film trailers and teasers are artificially boosted to create a false narrative of success. He remarked that the race to hit so-called view records within 24 hours or a week has become a burden on the producers and a distraction from the real measure of a film’s strength: content.
“There’s no point in wasting money to show inflated numbers. Let’s stick to real views and honest reach,” said Dil Raju, adding that this policy will be followed for his upcoming film Tammudu.
“Producers Should Focus on Stories, Not Just Projects”
Dil Raju also addressed the financial mismanagement in current film production, where producers are more concerned about project announcements than story quality or economic feasibility. He emphasized that
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Producers must sit down with heroes and directors to discuss realistic budgets and remunerations
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Focus must shift from star image hype to sound film economics
Pawan Kalyan’s Suggestions on Ticket Prices
Dil Raju also revealed that Janasena Chief Pawan Kalyan gave key suggestions on ticket pricing to help bring audiences back to theaters. Following this:
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A formal letter was submitted to the Telangana ministers
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Dil Raju confirmed there will be no ticket price hike in Telangana
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The move is expected to encourage wider theatrical participation
A Call for Industry-Wide Reset
Dil Raju’s comments are being seen as a much-needed introspection for the Telugu film industry. He stressed that transparency, honesty, and sustainable filmmaking are the way forward.
“If the YouTube numbers are real, the audience will support us. We don’t need fake campaigns to win their hearts,” he concluded.
