New Delhi: Nandamuri Balakrishna’s Daaku Maharaaj has outperformed Ram Charan’s much-anticipated Game Changer. Film critic Ramesh Bala attributes this to one critical factor—”word of mouth”.
While Game Changer, which is Ram Charan’s next after RRR’s Oscar win, opened to mixed reviews on 10 January, Daaku Maharaaj started its box office journey on 12 January. Within 24 hours, the Telugu-only Daaku Maharaaj outperformed the pan-India release by selling over 2,91,000 tickets on BookMyShow, compared to Game Changer’s 2,34,750.
“But it’s not fair to pit day one of Daaku Maharaaj against day three of Game Changer,” said Bala. He added that Ram Charan’s film struggled due to lukewarm reviews. “When the movie was released on Friday, negative word of mouth hurt its weekend performance.”
Daaku Maharaaj was able to capitalise on the lull with strong reviews and positive audience feedback.
According to Bala, Game Changer stumbled due to its story. “The narrative feels outdated. Audiences have evolved, and the script doesn’t align with the current generation’s expectations,” the film critic added.
Notably, Game Changer made Rs 51 crore on day one of its release, while Daaku Maharaaj collected Rs 22.5 crores, Sacnilk reported.
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Online battle
The rivalry didn’t end at ticket counters—fans escalated the battle online with memes and statistics.
One fan highlighted the contrasting trends in bookings on BookMyShow: “First Monday: Game Changer trending at 1.29K… Daaku Maharaaj at 4.35K.”
Others showcased Daaku Maharaaj’s “pure domination” in the form of packed theaters in Vizag and Hyderabad.
BookMyShow Vizag💥
Daaku Maharaaj pure domination against Game Changer 🔥🤙🏻❤️🔥#DaakuMaharaaj💣#GoGreenWithGameChanger pic.twitter.com/qoVeK0vksU
— Devara Mania🐉💛 (@RrrSimha) January 12, 2025
Ramesh Bala isn’t surprised by Daaku Maharaaj’s edge over a pan-Indian production.
“In Telugu states, screen count and occupancy rates for regional films is significantly higher,” he said.
But, Ram Charan loyalists aren’t backing down.
One said, “Game Changer is set to cross Devara’s lifetime collection today. Daaku Maharaaj couldn’t keep up!”
Another wrote, “Day 3 of Game Changer destroyed Day 1 of Daaku Maharaaj. Another embarrassing Sankranthi defeat for Balakrishna.”
As the box office battle rages on, this Sankranti clash is just heating up.
The release of Sankranthiki Vasthunam, written and directed by Anil Ravipudi and starring Venkatesh Daggubati, on 14 January will add more fuel to the fire.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)