Chiranjeevi Outwits Prabhas to Emerge as Sankranthi Box Office Winner

Megastar Chiranjeevi has made a thunderous comeback with Mana Sankara Varaprasad Garu, surpassing the collections of Prabhas’ The Raja Saab in the Telugu states and emerging as the Sankranthi box office winner. The family entertainer has already garnered over Rs 76 crore share and is still going strong, making it another blockbuster in Chiranjeevi’s illustrious career.

“Chiranjeevi’s charisma is back with a bang. He entertained viewers by showcasing his terrific comic timing, and his vintage moments struck a strong chord with audiences,” says writer-director Kona Venkat.

Addressing the few loopholes in the screenplay, Kona Venkat adds, “Director Anil Ravipudi understands the pulse of the family audience. He weaved an engaging screenplay filled with humour and delivered yet another success. His masterstroke was bringing Chiranjeevi and Venkatesh together on screen—their banter and dances made audiences overlook minor gaps.”

Eventually, Chiranjeevi outperformed big star Prabhas at the box office, as The Raja Saab witnessed a dip after collecting around Rs 72 crore share, with distributors reportedly facing losses of 30 to 40 percent. “Even Prabhas needs a strong character and story. This wafer-thin horror comedy failed to excite his massive fan base. Moreover, negative trolling by vested interests before release affected the opening collections and muted positive buzz,” he observes. “Prabhas will bounce back strongly with Spirit and once again showcase his crowd-pulling prowess.”

Kona Venkat also notes that theatre-going culture has revived this Sankranthi, which is a healthy sign for Telugu cinema. “Most theatres across the two Telugu states witnessed housefuls for all five releases. Watching films with family has become an integral part of the festival, along with festive delicacies, rangolis, and kite flying,” he says.

Amid star-driven releases, young actors also made their presence felt and delivered two hits. Naveen Polishetty attracted crowds with his laugh riot Anaganaga Oka Raju, which collected Rs 12 crore share, while Sharwanand bounced back with the wholesome entertainer Naari Naari Naduma Murari, collecting Rs 5 crore share and winning appreciation.

“I’m happy that young heroes are making their mark with different themes and daring to compete with seasoned stars,” he adds. However, he cautions, “Just evoking laughter isn’t enough. A film must move audiences emotionally to sustain a longer run. Movies with a strong story and emotional core will always have lasting success. A perfect blend of emotion and entertainment will be celebrated beyond Sankranti holidays.”

Meanwhile, Ravi Teja’s Bharta Mahasayulaku Vignapthi failed to set the box office on fire despite the holiday season, managing only a Rs 5 crore share, with collections steadily dipping.

Ace producer Dil Raju also said that three hits out five releases augurs well for the industry and wished all winners this Sankranthi and claimed that he made some money as distributor this season.

A leading exhibitor adds, "Sharwanand film is doing well with normal ticket rates, while a few other films hiked the ticket rates. I wish Telugu film producers would stop fleecing Telugu movie buffs. Bollywood film Dhurandhar shattered box office records with nominal ticket rates by registering a higher footfall and repeat audience. We have to learn a lesson from it. Nonetheless, this Sankranthi turned out to be a double celebration for the Telugu film industry,” he concludes.