Sankranti 2027 Not Enough? Top Senior Stars Plan Bigger

At present, theaters in Telugu cinema are facing a serious slowdown. In many towns and cities, theatres have either shut down or are running with very few shows. The main reason is simple. There are no major films pulling audiences to cinemas. Theatre owners are struggling to even cover basic maintenance costs like electricity, staff salaries, and rent. In such a situation, continuing operations becomes difficult, and some managements are forced to temporarily close screens.

Tier stars are taking two to three years to come up with one film. Other young heroes are still not box office reliable and are not able to deliver good films on a regular basis. In such a scenario, senior Tollywood actors are expected to play an important role in supporting theatres. Recently, Chiranjeevi pulled audiences with Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu, and Balakrishna tried with Akhanda. However, Nagarjuna and Venkatesh have not had recent releases.

Interestingly, senior stars now seem more active than younger heroes in planning festive releases. Reports say that Sankranti 2027 could see big combinations like Chiranjeevi with Bobby Kolli, Balakrishna with Harish Shankar or Gopichand Malineni, Nagarjuna with Kalyan Krishna, and Venkatesh with Anil Ravipudi.

Even the 2026 Dasara season is expected to be crowded. Chiranjeevi’s Vishwambhara, which was being planned for July, may shift to Dussehra. There is also talk about a Venkatesh and Trivikram Srinivas film titled AK 47 targeting the same period. Additionally, Balakrishna’s next film and Nagarjuna’s 100th project may also enter the race around the same time.

If these films release as planned between October and January, theatres could see steady business again. Strong festive releases from senior stars may help revive the theaters and bring some stability back to the Telugu exhibition sector.