New Delhi: Daggubati Venkatesh’s Sankranthiki Vasthunam emerged the winner in the Telugu cinema’s Sankranthi battle. Its one-week collection has been more than that of Nandamuri Balakrishna’s Daaku Maharaaj and Ram Charan-starrer Game Changer— released on 12 and 10 January. The entertainer is creating new records with each passing day. It has now emerged as one of the highest first-week grossers for a film from the Telugu industry.
Made on a budget of Rs 50 crore, the family comedy has minted over Rs 169.85 crore worldwide in a week. Its collection from the Telugu box office on the sixth day was Rs 19.35 crore, more than what SS Rajamouli’s 2022 blockbuster RRR made on day six, Rs 14 crore. This is also the highest-grossing movie of Venkatesh’s career.
Sankranthi is considered an auspicious and lucrative time for Telugu cinema, and big-budget films compete for a release that weekend. This year was no different as Game Changer, Daaku Maharaaj, and Sankranthiki Vasthunnam hit the screens on 10, 12, and 14 January respectively. Based on data collected until Tuesday morning, Sankranthiki Vasthunam has earned another Rs 1.97 crore.
“The reason Sankranthiki Vasthunam is doing so well is because it is family-oriented, and also festival-oriented and comedy, keeping in sync with the Sankranthi mood of the Telugu-speaking states,” said senior film critic Ramesh Bala.
Also read: Balakrishna’s Daaku Maharaaj has changed the game. Ram Charan losing the Sankranti clash
The tag of pan Indian
‘Pan-India’ film Game Changer, which had its launch event in Lucknow, marks the Telugu debut of actor Kiara Ali Advan and director Shankar. It has failed to impress the box office. The highly anticipated film was released in five languages. Made on a budget of Rs 400 crore, it has only managed to make Rs 176 crore 11 days after its release.
Daaku Maharaj is close on the heels of Venkatesh’s film with a collection of Rs 111.75 crore.
“When a South Indian film is dubbed in Hindi or makers go to promote it in Mumbai or Delhi, they immediately call it pan-India. But the tag does not do anything. Even Kanguva did not do well. Audiences will watch a regional movie if its content is better. Even Kantara was a big hit even though it was only dubbed in Hindi much later,” said Bala.
Recently, the Malayalam language film Marco also did good business in Hindi-speaking states, despite originally having only 34 shows. The makers later increased the number of shows to 3,000 after a huge surge in audience response in Delhi, Mumbai and Bihar.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)