Telugu film industry is where many live in denial mode – truth about a film is ignored until release day decides its fate.
This mindset isn’t new. However senior producer Dil Raju a name that commands immense respect in the industry appears to be reevaluating certain damaging practices.
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In a refreshing and much-needed change of stance Dil Raju recently spoke openly about one of the long-running problems: the culture of fake collections. Following the troubled journey of Game Changer, he publicly stated that he’s done with the practice of inflating box office numbers through fake posters. According to him, this deceptive culture must end, and it starts with his own production house.
Today, at the trailer launch event of Nithiin’s Thammudu, Dil Raju addressed another deep-rooted issue -the fake YouTube views game.
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It is an open secret in the industry: trailers, teasers, and songs often accumulate massive views not because of organic reach but due to aggressive YouTube ad paid campaigns. These ads are meant to create the illusion that the content is a blockbuster hit, even though public engagement remains poor.
On paper, a trailer may have 30 million views, but when the film releases, the first-day collections don’t even match a fraction of that supposed hype.
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Dil Raju admitted that he has instructed his team and PRs to stop this practice.
Instead, he wants honest numbers -real data that reflects genuine interest. That way, the production team can plan promotions more realistically, rather than relying on artificially inflated YouTube views.
This is not rocket science, but the real question is: why did it take so long for a veteran like Dil Raju to realize this?
The answer, clearly lies in the failures he’s recently experienced. Those setbacks seem to be pushing him to reassess his path as a producer and take corrective steps.
At the same press meet, when M9 News journalist Nishant asked Dil Raju whether he would stop targeting websites like M9 that publish unbiased reviews and teaser responses, the producer dodged the question.
Instead, he said no one -including media -should harm a film before its release.
But that answer left room for confusion. After all, if producers insist on stopping honest criticism the moment a teaser drops, it becomes impossible to set realistic expectations -for both audiences and investors.
The truth is, the Telugu industry is trapped in a bubble built by PR teams who flood web media outlets with pre-written praise and chase them to publish only flattering articles. This strategy is outdated and unwise. Thankfully, Dil Raju seems to have taken the first step toward change.
At M9 News, we’ve always strived to offer balanced, honest feedback – never to damage unfairly, but also never to blindly praise. We don’t engage in bhajan culture or publish PR material just to please producers. And that’s why we genuinely appreciate this shift in thinking from someone as influential as Dil Raju.
We hope other active producers will follow his lead. Otherwise, they’ll continue living in a bubble -believing their own PR and ignoring reality until it hits hard.
Nishant with dil raju:
And tell us not to put your teams behind us ..
This is not just for Dil Raju .. All the producers in the industry.
Teasers and trailers come in what work is not done .. #Dilraju #Thammudu pic.twitter.com/A9nhnt9Lpc
— M9 NEWS (@M9News_) June 11, 2025
