Vishwambhara has reached a stage where the delay itself has become part of the film’s story. The Chiranjeevi starrer was launched years ago, went through multiple postponements and extensive VFX work, and still has no officially locked release date. Fresh reports are now suggesting that the film could move further, with even a 2027 release being discussed.
That naturally raises a bigger question: How much can a big-budget film be delayed before the wait itself becomes a problem?
Telugu cinema has seen both sides of this story. Anji took years to reach theatres and, despite its ambition and visual effects, failed to deliver the expected box office. Hari Hara Veera Mallu is another recent example. The Pawan Kalyan starrer was announced in 2020, went through repeated delays and finally arrived after years of production, only to struggle commercially.
Radhe Shyam also carried massive expectations after its long production journey. Prabhas’ post-Baahubali image, the film’s scale and its prolonged wait created enormous anticipation, but the final product could not convert that hype into a theatrical success.
Then there is Baahubali – the rare exception.
Rajamouli turned the long production process, scale, and anticipation into an advantage. The audience eventually felt that the film was worth the wait. Kalki 2898 AD also showed that a large-scale Telugu film can spend years in development and still create a genuine theatrical event when the final product connects.
That is exactly where Vishwambhara stands today.
After years of waiting, the film cannot simply be good. It has to make audiences feel that all those years were worth it.
If the fantasy world, visuals and emotional scale connect, the delays may quickly become irrelevant. But if the film fails to match expectations, every postponement will become part of the criticism.
So, will Vishwambhara become another Anji, or can it pull off a Baahubali?
