Latest news with #SankranthikiVasthunam
Hans India
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hans India
Telugu cinema eyes big second half after a flat start to 2025
As we close the first half of 2025, the Telugu film industry finds itself reflecting on a slow and underwhelming start. Despite a handful of successes, the overall box office performance has fallen short of expectations, with very few notable hits making their mark. January began on a relatively positive note with Daaku Maharaaj and Sankranthiki Vasthunam performing well. February saw Thandel emerge as the sole success, followed by Court and MAD Square making some impact in March. April, however, had no hits to boast of. In May, HIT 3 and Single brought some relief, while June ended with a modest comeback thanks to Kuberaa and Kannappa. Adding to the industry's woes, there were no major star-studded releases in the first half excluding Pongal releases. But all eyes are now on the months ahead, which promise a flurry of high-profile releases. Industry insiders and exhibitors are hopeful that the second half of the year will revive the Telugu film industry's fortunes. Hari Hara Veera Mallu is set for a July 24 release, while Thammudu is confirmed for July 4. Kingdom, also expected in July, may shift to August. The Independence Day weekend will be crowded with War 2 and Coolie both eyeing August 14, followed by Ravi Teja's Mass Jathara on August 27. September promises to be massive with OG, Akhanda 2, and Mirai scheduled. Vishwambhara may join the lineup in September or October. Finally, December will see Prabhas return with The Raja Saab on December 5. With several big-budget and star-driven films lined up, the industry is optimistic that the second half of 2025 will deliver the much-needed momentum to close the year on a high.
The Hindu
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Telugu cinema 2025: At the half-year mark, ‘Sankranthiki Vasthunam' and ‘Court' are among the few that stand out
We are halfway through 2025, and it is déjà vu for Telugu cinema — a largely underwhelming summer once again. Of the 90-odd theatrical releases between January and June, only Sankranthiki Vasthunam, Court, and MAD Squareare clear hits in the trade circuits. A handful — Thandel, Kuberaa, HIT 3, Subham, and Single — drew early interest. While industry watchers might argue that the success rate has historically hovered around 10–15% of the releases, the middle ground is fast disappearing. Films are either hits or washouts. Show cancellations due to low footfalls even on opening weekends have become common. Quick OTT turnarounds, weak storytelling, production delays, shifting release dates of big-budget films chasing pan-India success, and persistent piracy are all to blame. The Sankranti season, usually a box office goldmine, offered a sobering reality check. Game Changer, Shankar's long-delayed film starring Ram Charan, bombed despite its scale and multilingual push, undone by a stale, formulaic narrative. Daaku Maharaaj, directed by Bobby Kolli, fared better, continuing Balakrishna's winning streak. Still, it was not without controversy — its 'Dabidi dibidi' track featuring Urvashi Rautela drew flak online. Collective laughter therapy It came as little surprise that director Anil Ravipudi and Venkatesh's Sankranthiki Vasthunam emerged as the season's winner. After a string of high-voltage action films, audiences welcomed the return of a mid-budget family entertainer. Ravipudi and Venkatesh's third collaboration — after F2 and F3 — delivered enough laughs to overlook the occasional flat joke or underwhelming VFX. Reportedly made on a ₹50 crore budget, the film is said to have grossed nearly ₹300 crore. Ironically, both Sankranthiki Vasthunam and Game Changer were produced by Dil Raju, marking a rare week of simultaneous success and failure. Among February releases, Chandoo Mondeti's Thandel stood out, drawing attention for reuniting Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi after Love Story, and for its soundtrack by Devi Sri Prasad. Most other titles barely registered. Holding court At a time when most films fade after their opening weekend, debut director Ram Jagadeesh's Court: State vs A Nobody proved that sharp writing and strong performances still hold weight. The courtroom drama, led by Priyadarshi as an underdog lawyer fighting for a wrongly accused teenager, struck a chord. A tender love story between newcomers Harsh Roshan and Sridevi, along with Vijai Bulganin's evocative score, added to its appeal. With a modest budget under ₹10 crore, the film reportedly earned over ₹50 crore. It also marked a comeback for actor Sivaji, who played the antagonist with conviction. Weeks later, Sailesh Kolanu's HIT: The Third Case opened strong, crossing the ₹100 crore mark, with Nani fronting the third instalment of the HIT-verse. While it could not maintain momentum post the first weekend, Nani had reason to celebrate — both Court and HIT 3, produced under his banner, were commercial wins. May 2024 had seen a near-total blackout in theatres due to elections and the IPL. Hopes were higher for May 2025, with big titles like Hari Hara Veera Mallu and Kingdom initially slated for release. But both were postponed, leaving cinemas once again without the summer footfall they had counted on. Still, a few smaller titles broke through. Samantha Ruth Prabhu's debut production Subham, a horror-comedy directed by Praveen Kandregula, stood out for its quirky tone and ensemble cast. Meanwhile, Single, a comedy drama starring Sree Vishnu and Vennela Kishore, became a surprise hit. Larger dreams, local disconnect In the pre-pandemic years, April and May reliably drew family audiences to theatres, with star-led films timed to coincide with school and college vacations. But post Baahubali, and especially after the nationwide success of Pushpa and RRR, producers increasingly pursued big-budget, multilingual projects, often in two parts and headlined by A-list stars. The result: inflated budgets, extended timelines, and a growing disconnect from core Telugu audiences. After a tepid summer, the industry pinned its hopes on Sekhar Kammula's Kuberaa. The social thriller, starring Nagarjuna, Dhanush, and Rashmika Mandanna, closed the first half of 2025 on a high. According to the makers, it crossed ₹100 crore in global collections, largely buoyed by strong responses in the Telugu states and overseas markets. Looking ahead, big-ticket releases like Akhanda 2, Vishwambara, The RajaSaab, Hari Hara Veera Mallu, and Kingdom are slated for the second half of the year. Still, for sustained momentum, the industry will need smaller, content-driven successes — films in the vein of Committee Kurrollu, 35: Chinna Katha Kaadu, and KA, which brought unexpected joy to 2024. Hopeful contenders include The Girlfriend, directed by Rahul Ravindran and starring Rashmika Mandanna, and Telusu Kada, the debut feature by Neeraja Kona.
Hindustan Times
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Dil Raju clarifies, Shirish apologises for saying Ram Charan didn't call after Game Changer box office debacle
It might have been six months since Shankar's Ram Charan, SJ Suryah and Kiara Advani-starrer Game Changer hit screens and tanked, but it's all anyone can talk about now. Producers Dil Raju and Shirish are now facing flak from Mega fans for some comments made by the latter in a recent interview. They both offered clarifications. (Also Read: Producer Shirish says he thought their 'lives were over' after Ram Charan's Game Changer failure; no one offered help) Ram Charan in a still from Shankar's political drama Game Changer. In an interview with Great Andhra, Shirish mentioned that he thought their 'lives were over' after Game Changer, thankful that Venkatesh-starrer Sankranthiki Vasthunam saved the day. He also mentioned in the interview that neither Shankar nor Ram called them after the film failed at the box office. Chiranjeevi and Ram's fans were miffed at the suggestion that the actor had to call the producers. In a statement to the press, Shirish apologised and called it all a 'misunderstanding.' He wrote in Telugu, 'It is known that the words I spoke in an interview led to a misunderstanding on social media, and Mega fans were hurt by it. Global Star Ram Charan gave us his full time and support for the film Game Changer. We have had a close relationship with Megastar Chiranjeevi garu's family for many years. We do not speak in a way that would harm the reputation of Chiranjeevi garu, Ram Charan garu, and other Mega heroes. If my words have hurt anyone's feelings... please forgive me.' Dil Raju defends, clarifies Shirish's statement Shirish's brother Dil Raju defended him in an interview with 10 TV, also claiming that it was nothing more than a misunderstanding. He also stated that he was more involved in the making of Game Changer, while Shirish took care of Sankranthiki Vasthunam. Raju stated that he never pointed at Charan, pointing out that Indian 2 and 'lacking wavelength' with Shankar caused insignificant delays. 'Charan waited patiently through it all. But when Sankranthiki Vasthunam was a hit, I'm sure he must have felt bad. He chose not to do other films out of respect for Shankar, no matter how much time it took. Shirish gave an interview for the first time recently; he usually doesn't speak much. He got emotional about Sankranthiki Vasthunam and said it only in that context. Because we would've suffered if not for the film. But his intention wasn't wrong. Shirish is close to Charan. He doesn't have experience with the media, which is why the mistake happened,' claimed Raju. Game Changer was mounted on a massive budget and was released this Sankranthi along with Balakrishna's Daaku Maharaaj and Venkatesh's Sankranthiki Vasthunam. According to Sacnilk, Game Changer collected ₹ 186.25 crore worldwide, while Sankranthiki Vasthunam made ₹ 255.2 crore, despite being made on a smaller budget. Daaku Maharaaj also collected ₹ 125.8 crore and became Balakrishna's second-highest-grossing film after Akhanda.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Producer Shirish says he thought their ‘lives were over' after Ram Charan's Game Changer failure; no one offered help
If there's one film that surprised everyone this year, and not in a pleasant way, it has to be Shankar's Ram Charan, SJ Suryah and Kiara Advani-starrer Game Changer. The film was released with high expectations on Sankranthi, and the result was anything but favourable. In a rare interview with Great Andhra, producer Shirish, Dil Raju's brother, spoke about the aftermath of the film's failure. Ram Charan and Kiara Advani in a still from Shankar's much-hyped film Game Changer. Shirish spoke about how risky the film business was and brought up Sankranthiki Vasthunam and Game Changer, which released days apart from each other, as examples. He said, 'Everyone knows how risky the cinema business is. For example, look at Sankranthiki Vasthunam and Game Changer. With Game Changer, we thought our lives were over. We got hope from Sankranthiki Vasthunam. Our lives changed within four days. If we didn't have that, think of our situation now.' The producer also mentioned that after Game Changer flopped, nobody, including Ram and Shankar, reached out to him and his brother as a courtesy or to offer help. 'When Game Changer flopped, did the hero come and help us? Did the director come and help us? No one even asked us how we were doing, even out of courtesy. I am not blaming anyone because we made the film out of our wish, and we faced losses. We have not come down to the stage of asking back remuneration,' he explained. Dil Raju wants to make another film with Ram Charan In the interview, Shirish said that things remained cordial with Ram, enough that they could pitch him another project. He also said that the actor owes them nothing and is free to say yes or no to the film they pitch. After the interview dropped, Raju spoke at an event for Nithiin's Thammudu and mirrored his brother's sentiments. He said, 'We had a setback this year with Game Changer, and we feel guilty about not making a super hit with Ram Charan. We are trying to make a hit film with him now. I will hopefully announce it soon.' Game Changer is one of the biggest debacles this year. The film was mounted on a massive budget and had been in production since 2021. According to Sacnilk, it made ₹ 186.25 crore worldwide in its lifetime.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Vishnu Manchu's Kannappa opening weekend numbers are in: Where does it land among biggest Telugu openers of 2025?
Mukesh Kumar Singh's Vishnu Manchu-starrer Kannappa has everything going for it. It boasts of a star cast the likes of Prabhas, Akshay Kumar, Mohanlal and Sarathkumar. Beautiful locales of New Zealand passing off for a south India untouched by modernity. And above all, the gut and gumption of Vishnu, who believed Friday would be his. Vishnu Manchu plays a hunter called Thinnadu in Kannappa. The issue is that Vishnu had aimed high and made such claims before. Be it with Voter, Mosagallu, or Ginna, the actor aimed to push the bar, but it never really landed. He even admitted recently that 'no Tollywood director' would be willing to work with him on Kannappa, and the failure of his last few films only added to the mistrust. But boy, did Vishnu prove the naysayers wrong, and how. Kannappa is still laden with issues that the audience has consistently pointed out since the film's release. It seems to be a general consensus that the first half of the film tests your patience, but the fag end of the second half soars. Despite all that, according to Sacnilk, the film managed to bring in ₹ 23.75 crore net in India in its opening weekend. These numbers are a personal best for Vishnu, who has been struggling to star in films that leave an impact for a while now. His last film, Ginna, made ₹ 24 lakh worldwide. And the much-hyped Mosagallu lived up to its title and brought in ₹ 1.65 crore worldwide. As Vishnu himself admits, the audience might have been lured to the theatres to watch Kannappa with Prabhas featuring in an exciting cameo, but Vishnu also seems to have finally turned things around for himself. Where Kannappa stands in 2025 films Kannappa's opening weekend numbers are impressive, but the film still has a long way to go to find its footing or even break even, as it was made on a budget of approximately ₹ 200 crore. Ram Charan's Game Changer might be a disappointment in the long run, but it still registered a ₹ 88.5 crore net opening weekend in India that any Telugu film has yet to beat. Venkatesh's Sankranthiki Vasthunam comes second with its ₹ 60.5 crore opening. Movie name Opening weekend numbers (net India) Game Changer ₹ 88.5 crore Sankranthiki Vasthunam ₹ 60.5 crore Daaku Maharaaj ₹ 50.4 crore HIT: The Third Case ₹ 41.9 crore Thandel ₹ 36.35 crore Mad Square ₹ 25.25 crore Kannappa ₹ 23.75 crore Court ₹ 14.8 crore Balakrishna's Daaku Maharaaj had an opening of ₹ 50.5 crore, while Nani's HIT: The Third Case had brought in ₹ 41.9 crore. Naga Chaitanya's Thandel had made ₹ 36.35 crore in its opening weekend. Narne Nithiin's ensemble film MAD Square made ₹ 25.25 crore, beating Kannappa by a thin margin. Kannappa's opening numbers have, however, beaten Priyadarshi's much-loved film Court, which had made ₹ 14.8 crore. While this still leaves Kannappa in a cushy spot, given history, Vishnu and the film still have the uphill task of sustaining numbers through the week and keeping the audience's interest until the film is in the clear. Will he manage to do that? Time will tell.
