This year hasn't been favorable for Tollywood, with 2024 halfway through and hardly any commercial successes. Over 100 movies have released in these six months, but even those with good reviews didn't see significant collections. Most films managed to attract audiences only during the weekend, with theaters becoming empty after that.
None of the movies released last month made a significant impact at the box office. The film "Maname" received positive reviews for its family and youth-centric themes, but it hasn’t reached the break-even point yet due to low theater attendance. Another movie, "Satyabhama," failed within three days of release. This week, Sudheer Babu's "Harom Hara" hit theaters and received average reviews. Vijay Sethupathi's dubbed movie "Maharaja" received positive reviews but didn’t draw big crowds. However, there is hope that word-of-mouth will increase its popularity.
"Harom Hara" was made on a large budget, one of the biggest in Sudheer Babu's career, but the first-day collections were disappointing. On June 27, Prabhas' highly anticipated "Kalki 2898 AD" is set for a grand release, generating significant interest among family audiences.
Many medium and low-budget movies are being watched at home on OTT platforms. Only big films like "Kalki 2898 AD" or those with strong word-of-mouth, like the dubbed movie "Premalu," are attracting audiences to theaters. If "Maharaja" succeeds, it might push Telugu actors to reconsider their script choices in the future.
Despite the tough times for Tollywood, industry analysts predict some excitement in theaters with a pan-India movie releasing every month.
