Even though Sankranthi 2027 is still almost a year away, the Telugu film industry has already started playing musical chairs with release dates. The race has begun far too early. What makes this situation even more ridiculous is that some of these films have not even started shooting.
As of now, at least six films are looking to cash in on the Sankranthi 2027 window. These include Mega158 starring Chiranjeevi and directed by Bobby, Teja Sajja’s next film from People Media Factory, Sharwanand’s entertainer with Srinu Vaitla and Mythri Movie Makers, Rajinikanth’s Thalaivar173 produced by Kamal Haasan, a likely Venkatesh and Anil Ravipudi collaboration backed by Dil Raju, and a medium budget film from Sithara. That is a packed lineup already.
KVN Productions is said to be keen on repeating the Waltair Veerayya festival sentiment with Chiranjeevi, pushing for an aggressive schedule. Sharwanand has openly confirmed his Sankranthi plans, as he feels the season is lucky for him. People Media Factory, meanwhile, is still figuring out logistics for Teja Sajja’s project. Thalaivar173 is also being planned carefully to not miss the lucrative festival slot.
But here is the uncomfortable truth. This is not ambition; it is plain greed. Once again, Telugu producers’ greed stands clearly exposed. Instead of spreading releases across the calendar, everyone blindly chases the same festival window, hoping to cash in on holiday crowds. The result is chaos. Screens get split, shows get reduced, and smaller or mid-range films are pushed to odd timings or removed within days. Even films with positive word of mouth do not get the breathing space they need to grow.
Nari Nari Naduma Murari this Sankranthi proved exactly that, a film that got positive response from the public but crushed under the weight of bigger releases. When six or seven films clash, none of them reach their full potential. The industry keeps repeating this mistake, and everyone ends up losing.
