With just a few days left, the countdown to the Sankranthi season has officially begun. This year, however, the festival period is turning out to be far more complicated for the film trade. Since many films are lined up for release, business negotiations are not concluding as smoothly as expected. On the surface, it may appear that producers have already sold all territorial rights, but trade circles say that large portions of advance payments are still pending and have not yet reached producers.
Because nearly half a dozen films are competing for the same festive window, buyers find themselves in a dilemma. They are unsure where to place their confidence and money. The Raja Saab will take full advantage of its early release date before January 9. However, from January 12 onward, the real challenge begins. Even if the film enjoys public interest, it will eventually have to share screens with other releases, which could directly impact collections. That makes audience talk and word of mouth extremely critical. Unless there is exceptional word of mouth, audiences are not ready to watch films based only on the name of Prabhas or any other big star.
Chiranjeevi’s Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu, boosted by the Anil Ravipudi brand and Venkatesh’s cameo, is expected to perform well in mass and interior centers. While The Raja Saab may enjoy a comfortable run for the first three days, it will inevitably face screen sharing pressure afterward. Any reduction in screens will affect revenue, making positive talk a key deciding factor.
Meanwhile, other films such as Bharta Mahasayulaki Wignyapthi, Anaganaga Oka Raju, and Naari Naari Naduma Murari are reportedly fighting mini battles to secure screens that match their market range. Adding to the tension, trade reports say that Vijay’s dubbed film Jana Nayakudu will also eat away a lot of multiplex screens, especially at PVR INOX, making things difficult for local Telugu films. This could further reduce the multiplex screens available for competing releases.
The war for theatres has already started heating up for the Sankranthi biggies. In Nizam, the battle has started again between two camps over theatre allocations.
Distributors are closely monitoring all these developments and continue negotiating hard with producers. Sources suggest that producers may eventually receive lower amounts than what they initially expected. At the same time, internal agreements are in place to quickly reallocate screens if any film receives unanimously positive talk, reducing shows for films with weaker responses.
Overall, the festive race has put buyers in a cautious mindset. No one feels confident enough to bet heavily on a single film, so distributors are moving carefully rather than rushing into deals. On top of this, there is still uncertainty about whether Siva Karthikeyan’s Parasakthi will be released in Telugu on January 10. If that happens, the situation could become even more complicated for everyone involved.
