Larger than life

Audio launches in the Kannada film industry are now as big as film releases. Producers pump in a lot of money and spice up proceedings to ensure as much visibility for their product as possible. The most recent audio launch that was a real jaw-dropper was that of ‘Uppi 2’ which not only had a fashion show where Upendra walked the ramp but also showcased models of the super bikes used in the movie.

Kannada film audio launches not only use the opportunity to take the audience through a clip of the audio and video of the film but also offer a wholesome movie-going experience. Director PC Shekar chalked out an elaborate plan for the audio launch of his latest directorial, ‘Arjuna’ where he got music composer Arjun Janya to perform a few select songs from the film. “We called the concert ‘Unplugged’, where Arjun performed the best of the tracks from the movie. The idea was not only to entertain but get people to notice our work,” says Shekar. Why a concert? Shekar reasons that it is crucial to know the impact such an event would have and also helps judge the reaction of the audience. “We also took people through some of the instruments  we have used in the songs and some moments during the making of the film,” says Shekar. He doesn’t shy away from accepting that it is indeed a way of grabbing some extra attention.

Filmmakers have always experimented with presenting audio launches in the most creative way possible. Actress and producer of ‘Uppi 2’, Priyanka Upendra, made sure she made the audio launch of ‘Uppi 2’ a memorable affair. “We had a fashion show where all the costumes worn by Upendra in all his films were worn. The fashion show was a tribute to Upendra’s sense of style and fashion,” says Priyanka.

‘Uppi 2’ is scheduled to release on August 15 and this high-budget film has used a lot of graphics and also has two special bikes — the spider and the flower bike — specially
designed for the film. “Both these bikes were displayed during the recent audio launch. Our idea was to bond with people as much as we could during the launch,” she explains. Director and actor Ramesh Aravind recollects that the audio of some of his earlier films like ‘Accident’ were launched on a giant-sized CD.

“The audio of another one of my films, ‘Nam Anna Don’ was released only on mobile phones and never on a CD. This is the first time that the audio of a film was launched on a mobile phone. The concept worked pretty well,” says Ramesh. The audio of Ramesh’s latest directorial, ‘Uttama Villain’, took the audience through the entire making of the movie. “Audio launches can be extremely entertaining if one has creativity and the money to go with it,” adds Ramesh.      

Music composer Arjun Janya thinks filmmakers must infuse a lot of creativity into all music launches. “It’s not just enough for audio launches to be extremely big, the lyrics must be meaningful, the tunes racy and catchy,” says Arjun. He recollects that for two earlier films ‘Victory’ and ‘Khali Quarter’, the audio was launched in a popular theatre, on the big screen.
“It’s good if the launches don’t get boring and repetitive,” he says. Echoing Arjun’s views, music composer J Anoop Seelin, feels most launches must be linked to the film’s website where people can pay and download the music. “We see a lot of groups using flash mobs and also putting together clippings from the film. All this will increase visibility and boost movie sales,” says Anoop.