Sankranthi 2026: Game Of Underrated Directors?

Sankranthi 2026 is shaping up to be an exciting festival season for Telugu cinema. Several star hero films are preparing to hit the screens at the same time, creating strong anticipation among audiences.

The biggest release is Raja Saab, which brings Prabhas and Maruti together. The film is expected to arrive on January 9, and the promotional campaign has already begun.

Director Maruti is being underestimated and even trolled on social media. Many fans remain sceptical about how he will handle a superstar like Prabhas in a major film.

However, Maruti is an established commercial filmmaker. He has delivered successful comedy films earlier, and he is no stranger to the horror comedy genre. His past work shows that he understands this space well.

The main question is whether he can present Prabhas effectively on the big screen. If he succeeds, Raja Saab could dominate the next Sankranti festival season.

Meanwhile, Anil Ravipudi is gearing up with the Chiranjeevi film scheduled for the second week of January. Anil is one of the most successful directors of this generation.

Yet he faces heavy trolling on social media. His comedy style is often labelled as cringe, even though it continues to connect with the family audience.

The box office numbers reflect this strong support. Anil knows that his real audience is very different from the online crowd, and he is least affected by social media criticism.

For both Maruti and Anil, the key goal this Sankranthi is to silence the negativity. They must prove social media wrong by delivering strong box office revenues where it truly matters.