Something interesting is happening in the Telugu film industry. Theatres have been looking surprisingly healthy over the past two months. The strange part is that this comeback is not being driven by universally acclaimed films. Some recent releases received mixed reviews and faced a lot of backlash, especially for their weak second halves. Yet, audiences did not completely reject them. Recent examples include Maa Inti Bangaaram, Lenin, Chennai Love Story, and Korean Kanakaraju.
A few years ago, a film with poor reviews and negative social media talk could collapse within a day or two. Word of mouth had an almost immediate impact. But lately, audiences seem willing to give average films more breathing space. Why? One possible reason is OTT fatigue.
When streaming platforms first became popular, they were incredibly convenient. One subscription gave families access to a huge library of movies and shows. Waiting for a film to arrive on OTT became easier than spending money on a theatrical outing.
But now the OTT experience has changed. Subscriptions have become more expensive, plans come with more restrictions, and the amount of genuinely exciting content available every week is debatable. For Telugu audiences, the change is even more noticeable, with very few films creating the kind of excitement that once made OTT subscriptions feel essential.
So, audiences may be slowly changing their habits. If a film is not completely terrible, they are willing to give it a shot in theatres and not wait for the film to land on OTT, especially when there is enough curiosity around the hero, concept, or trailer.
The Monday numbers are perhaps the biggest indication of this change. Traditionally, the first Monday tells the trade whether a film has real staying power. A sharp drop often means the weekend audience has exhausted the demand. But some recent releases have managed to hold reasonably well even after the weekend.
These films may not be spectacular blockbusters, but they are doing something equally important. They are recovering the money for which they were sold and keeping theatres running.
Of course, it is too early to declare that Tollywood has completely recovered. A handful of films cannot change the market overnight. But if the next few releases also survive despite average reviews, this may no longer be a temporary phase.
