Sankranthiki Vasthunam emerges as Sankranthi winner, Venky’s biggest grosser
Undoubtedly, seasoned star Venkatesh has outperformed his rivals Balakrishna and Ram Charan with the sensational blockbuster Sankranthi Vasthunam in the Telugu states. "Sankranthi Vasthunam is the box office winner," admits M.S. Raju, who delivered two hit films, Satruvu and Deviputrudu, with Venkatesh in the past. He claims he had a hunch and told Venkatesh that this film would rock the box office. “A day before the release, I told Venkatesh that this film would be the biggest grosser of his career, and he just felt happy. When I met him after its success, he agreed with my judgment. This film will emerge as the biggest grosser in Venkatesh’s career and could surpass Rs 250 crore in gross collections, beating his previous blockbuster F2. This Anil Ravipudi directorial is going to stay in theaters for a while and continue drawing more viewers,” he says.
While Game Changer and Daaku Maharaaj also grossed over Rs 100 crore during this Sankranthi, Daaku Maharaaj is expected to be safer for producers and distributors. It was sold for Rs 75 crore in the Telugu states and has already collected Rs 65 crore in net collections, with expectations to break even soon. In contrast, Game Changer has fallen short of its Rs 130 crore target in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, managing only Rs 70 crore in net collections before crashing at the box office. "I don’t want to take names, but a film is considered successful if it generates more profits for producers and distributors. It all depends on the budget and the collections a film makes. If the gap is too wide, it could be risky," he explains.
Although some believe that multiple films clashing at the box office during festivals may hurt their collections, he disagrees. “I don’t think so. In the past, two films also did well, so the idea that clashes dent collections is just a myth,” he reasons.
Turning back to Sankranthi Vasthunam, he adds, “It could have earned Rs 60 to 70 crore (I’m not sure), but it was embraced by family audiences and others. The family drama, loaded with humor, and Venkatesh’s hilarious performance helped the film top the charts. It is expected to generate three to four times more profits for distributors,” he says.
While social media has criticised Sankranthi Vasthunam for its cringe comedy and recycled ideas, he remains unfazed. “Social media trolls or ratings don’t affect a film much. Once the audience likes a film, it can catch fire at the box office, and old-fashioned word-of-mouth publicity will kick in and boost footfalls,” he concludes.