Why Have the Last Three Blockbuster Films of Superstar Vijay: Mersal, Sarkar, and Bigil, Not Been DUBBED in HINDI?

The decision not to dub Vijay's last three highly successful films—Mersal, Sarkar, and Bigil—into Hindi can be attributed to several strategic and practical considerations. This article delves into the key factors influencing this decision and explores the potential reasons behind Vijay's missing Hindi dubbing.

Market Strategy

A significant factor contributing to the non-dubbing of these films is the producers' market strategy. The Tamil language films targeted the Tamil-speaking market where Vijay holds a massive fan base.

Mersal, Sarkar, and Bigil were successful in the Tamil market, and duplicating that success in Hindi might not align with their financial goals. The producers likely decided to focus their resources on maintaining and furthering the success within the Tamil audience, thereby optimizing their return on investment (ROI).

Content Sensitivity

Another important factor is the sensitivity of the content. These films explore themes and references that are deeply rooted in Tamil culture and politics. Translating and dubbing these films into Hindi could potentially alter the impact and context of the stories, making them less appealing to a Hindi-speaking audience.

Previous Experiences

The producers may also have learned from previous experiences with Hindi dubs of South Indian films. Past dubs that did not perform well or received mixed reviews could have influenced their decision to avoid similar projects in the future. The fear of potential backlash and negative reception might have made them more cautious about investing in Hindi dubs.

Vijay's Fan Base

An additional factor is the strong following that Vijay has in Tamil Nadu and among Tamil-speaking audiences globally. The producers likely prioritize catering to this demographic over expanding into a new, uncertain market like the Hindi-speaking audience.

Production and Distribution Challenges

Lastly, the production and distribution challenges associated with dubbing and releasing films in a new language cannot be overlooked. The additional costs and logistical complexities involved in dubbing and distributing in Hindi could outweigh the potential benefits. Producers might opt to forgo the Hindi version altogether if the anticipated ROI is not sufficiently high.

Remake Plans and Future Releases

Despite the initial decision, there are ongoing developments regarding the Hindi dubs and remakes of these films.

For example, Mersal has already been purchased by Red Chillies Productions of Shah Rukh Khan, who will be remaking the movie with himself in the lead. The purchase of the north Indian dubbing rights from the first buyer has been made, suggesting that a Hindi release is in the pipeline.

Regarding Bigil, it is expected to be released in the dubbed version soon. Usually, if the film is sold for North Indian dubbing rights and the dubbing is not done by the producer, the dubbed version is released 6 months after the original version. Given that the original version of Bigil was released on October 25th, we can expect the dubbed version to be available by April 25th.

Sarkar has faced some legal issues with a plagiarism case. The sale of Hindi dubbing rights for Rs. 19 crore has been delayed due to the case. If the issue is resolved, the film should be released in Hindi soon as rumors suggest the case was settled in May 2019.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the decision not to dub Vijay's last three films into Hindi was strategic, driven by market strategies, content sensitivity, past experiences, fan base considerations, and production/distribution challenges. However, the future looks promising with ongoing plans for Hindi remakes and dubbed versions, indicating a possible shift in the future.

Photo Credit: Used with permission from Google.