Tollywood is no longer just about big-budget films; even small and mid-range movies are raking in massive collections. Sankranthiki Vasthunnam, made on a medium budget, earned almost 300 crores, while Thandel is racing towards the 100-crore mark.
However, Bollywood’s situation is drastically different, with its success rate plummeting. Big budget films like Sky Force, deva, Baby John, and Azaad have bitten the dust. Only a handful of films have managed to survive in recent years.
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Despite big budgets, Hindi audiences are showing little interest in Bollywood films. Once upon a time, historical epics like Tanhaji, Padmaavat and Bajirao Mastani were major hits.
But after the pandemic, Bollywood films have consistently failed to meet expectations. Over the past five years, the number of true superhits can be counted on fingers.
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In this challenging scenario, Vicky Kaushal’s Chhaava, a film based on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s son Sambhaji Maharaj, is attempting to make an impact.
Directed by Laxman Utekar, Chhaava features Vicky Kaushal as Sambhaji and Rashmika Mandanna as his wife. Initially planned for a December release, the film was postponed to avoid heavy competition from Pushpa 2.
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However, despite securing a solo release, Chhaava has failed to generate significant buzz. According to trade pundits, with just two days to go, advance bookings remain average and that too despite block bookings by the makers, reflecting the sad phase of current Bollywood films.
The makers were confident that Hindi audiences would embrace the film since Sambhaji Maharaj’s story is relatively unexplored in Bollywood. However, many moviegoers seem to be in a wait-and-watch mode, preferring to see the initial reviews before committing.
The film is made on a budget of around 150 crores. Chhaava needs to collect at least 300 crores worldwide gross to achieve breakeven. If the film is accepted, this will be a cakewalk, or else it might be another shocker for Bollywood.
Despite Vicky and Rashmika’s extensive promotions, the pre-release hype remains low. If this trend continues, the film might struggle to open well, and if the word-of-mouth is negative, it could end up as a disaster at the box office.
