The Sankranti festival season is considered highly profitable for Telugu cinema. Festival holidays usually drive large crowds to theatres. This year too, Tollywood witnessed multiple fresh releases during the festive window.
The biggest release of the season was Raja Saab, led by Prabhas. The film opened on a strong note due to his star power. However, weak reviews and negative word of mouth affected its run quickly.
After a decent opening day, Raja Saab saw a sharp drop on the second day. By Sunday, the film was largely out of contention at the box office. The situation worsened with the arrival of a strong festive competitor.
Chiranjeevi teamed up with Anil Ravipudi for a proper Sankranti entertainer titled Mana Shankar Varaprasad Garu. The film made an impressive impact right from day one. It benefited from strong festive demand.
As per early box office reports, the film collected around ₹60 crore gross globally on its opening day. This marks the biggest opening of Chiranjeevi’s career so far. Strong numbers from the Nizam and Andhra regions played a key role.
The film also opened well in the United States. With around $1.5 million coming from premiere shows alone, the response has been encouraging. The humour-driven content is expected to attract family audiences overseas.
Trade estimates suggest the film could cross $2 million within the first two days in the US market. This further strengthens its festive box office momentum. The director once again proved his command over festival releases.
Current projections indicate that Chiranjeevi has taken a strong lead at the ticket counters with Anil Ravipudi. In contrast, Prabhas is facing difficulties with Raja Saab underperforming. The gap between the two films is widening.
Meanwhile, Ravi Teja entered the race today with his latest release. Naveen Polishetty also arrived with Anaganaga Oka Raju. Both films will now compete with Chiranjeevi over the next few days.
