Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy

[JaguarBae]

https://youtu.be/NMRJTTMMmZw

[ravenus]

I suspect this will be the Hindi language release.

[JaguarBae]

Originally Posted by ravenus

I suspect this will be the Hindi language release.

https://www.movieskart.in/product/sy...ddy-blu-ray-3/

This one actually says Telugu

Anyone have it? I'm hoping it's legit, since I don't see it on other sites.

[ashik786]

Originally Posted by JaguarBae

https://www.movieskart.in/product/sy...ddy-blu-ray-3/

This one actually says Telugu

Anyone have it? I'm hoping it's legit, since I don't see it on other sites.

it's pirated one. Rip from amazon prime

[JaguarBae]

Originally Posted by ashik786

it's pirated one. Rip from amazon prime

Really? How did you find out?

I did just watch it on Amazon Prime though. Looked amazing in glorious 4K

[ashik786]

Originally Posted by JaguarBae

Really? How did you find out?

I did just watch it on Amazon Prime though. Looked amazing in glorious 4K

It's not officially released on Blu-ray or DVD

[pavan_a]

The movie was made on such a huge scale that despite being such a huge hit it wasn't profitable for the makers.

Worth a Blu-ray for this one obviously but unfortunately there isn't one

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by pavan_a

The movie was made on such a huge scale that despite being such a huge hit it wasn't profitable for the makers.

Everyone assumes they can do Bahubali numbers just by aping the Bahubali style. But BB was set in a generic fairyland that could be in any part of India, so it was easier for audiences across the country to accept it. SRNR is the specific tale of a freedom fighter from Andhra, even when you present it in an all-purpose warrior movie mode. Most non-Andhra audiences would be like "Sye who? Never heard of him." This should have been taken into account when conceiving the budget and scale of the film.
Also, the lead character was barely 40 when he was killed by the British. Having him be played by 60+ Chiranjeevi, who most Hindi viewers would find a quaint uncle that had a few Hindi releases in the 90's before returning back to his local fiefdom, is hardly a winning idea. Ram Charan himself or NTR Jr would have been more suited age-wise for the lead...or would they have been already busy with Rajamouli's project then?

[JaguarBae]

Originally Posted by ravenus

Everyone assumes they can do Bahubali numbers just by aping the Bahubali style. But BB was set in a generic fairyland that could be in any part of India, so it was easier for audiences across the country to accept it. SRNR is the specific tale of a freedom fighter from Andhra, even when you present it in an all-purpose warrior movie mode. Most non-Andhra audiences would be like "Sye who? Never heard of him." This should have been taken into account when conceiving the budget and scale of the film.
Also, the lead character was barely 40 when he was killed by the British. Having him be played by 60+ Chiranjeevi, who most Hindi viewers would find a quaint uncle that had a few Hindi releases in the 90's before returning back to his local fiefdom, is hardly a winning idea. Ram Charan himself or NTR Jr would have been more suited age-wise for the lead...or would they have been already busy with Rajamouli's project then?

I've heard it wasn't promoted well in Hindi markets. But knowing him personally shouldn't matter since everyone knows about the British East India company controlling India. I had never heard of him, but I had been looking forward to this because there has not been an India vs British Empire film before like this. It was a strangely missing thing in Indian cinema. (Non Indian here)

I thought in regard to sets and effects, Sye Raa matched the Baahubali series and even exceeded it in certain areas. Granted they used real temples that already existed, but still the sheer scale of the cast looked enormous. Were there actually millions of extras in this?

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by JaguarBae

I've heard it wasn't promoted well in Hindi markets. But knowing him personally shouldn't matter since everyone knows about the British East India company controlling India.

I may be wrong on this, but I feel there has been at least a subtle regional chauvinism in the establishment's eulogizing of national heroes. Typically freedom fighters and revolutionaries from the North and Central India have been more highlighted in textbooks and other media, while most heroes south of Tipu Sultan are significantly less known on a national scale. A Tagore is known everywhere but mention a Subramaniya Bharathi in a non South Indian milieu and you will likely get blank stares. A Rani Lakshmibai carries greater currency across the country than a Mangai Velunachiyar.

And while it's nice to think that people should be unbiased about this, that's not how it works out in reality. Like with wanting to know the names of the stars when deciding which movie to see, folks prefer to see biopics of names they've actually heard and have at least a dim idea about.

Originally Posted by JaguarBae

Were there actually millions of extras in this?

At least in the trailer there's a lot of obvious CG doubling and compositing used in the big crowd scenes. I doubt more than a few hundred extras were actually used.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by JaguarBae

but I had been looking forward to this because there has not been an India vs British Empire film before like this. It was a strangely missing thing in Indian cinema. (Non Indian here)

The expense factor of a large-scale period film is the main issue here, especially since unlike Hollywood most Indian period films don't have a significant overseas market. The other aspect is that unless you're doing a flat glorification, it is hard to make a historical or even mythological that doesn't offend one or the other social group (that is usually also connected to a political outfit).

Some of the prominent Indian films that have shown large scale scenes of combat with the British include:

1942 A Love Story - A fictional tale of romance set against the freedom struggle. Made by Vinod Chopra, who was assisted here by Sanjay Bhansali.

Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja - an 18th century Kerala ruler who fought with the British for the same reasons as Narasimha Reddy. This was the costliest Malayalam film of its time, although I suspect less than a 5th of SRNR's budget.

I haven't seen the 2005 Mangal Pandey film, but since it it is set during the time of the 1857 mutiny, I would assume it has large-scale skirmishes.

[JaguarBae]

Originally Posted by ravenus

I doubt more than a few hundred extras were actually used.

for war scenes maybe

Jaago Narasimhaa Jaagore Video Song - Telugu | Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy | Chiranjeevi | Amit Trivedi - YouTube

I'm sticking with at least a million for the bustling temple scenes.

Also it was funny how every single Baahubali side character is in this.

[pavan_a]

Originally Posted by ravenus

I haven't seen the 2005 Mangal Pandey film, but since it it is set during the time of the 1857 mutiny, I would assume it has large-scale skirmishes.

Best not watched. Its boring. Also, the only time I personally didn't like even one song from the entire soundtrack by Rahman.

[JaguarBae]

Originally Posted by ravenus

But BB was set in a generic fairyland that could be in any part of India

South fairyland though. Architecture didn't look North

[Dragun]

Originally Posted by JaguarBae

Were there actually millions of extras in this?

Probably not. The record for most extras in a film is 300,000 for the funeral scene in Gandhi. I doubt any movie in the CGI era has used anywhere close to 300,000 physical extras, let alone 1 million.

[ravenus]

Yeah, I don't think you can get a million people even for a mass political rally, where they just round up villagers in trucks and hand them a food pack and maybe some additional cash to make it worth their while.
Frankly I suspect the budget was artificially inflated to pull off some tax evasion tricks.

[JaguarBae]

Originally Posted by Dragun

Probably not. The record for most extras in a film is 300,000 for the funeral scene in Gandhi. I doubt any movie in the CGI era has used anywhere close to 300,000 physical extras, let alone 1 million.

Filming areal shots in cities can have millions of extras. Willing or unwilling

Originally Posted by ravenus

Frankly I suspect the budget was artificially inflated to pull off some tax evasion tricks.

You're awful negative for someone who hasn't seen the movie
Didn't you say you only watched the trailer

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by JaguarBae

Filming areal shots in cities can have millions of extras. Willing or unwilling

A little different from extras in a period film who have to be draped in period clothing. Also, even those aerial shots would have to cover 10-15% of the whole city area to get a million people in cumulative view.

You're awful negative for someone who hasn't seen the movie
Didn't you say you only watched the trailer

I admit that's just speculation on my part. I'm a little confused as to why primarily Telugu language films (which generally have a smaller market than Bollywood) are given budget estimates almost twice that of Hindi films with grand period settings.