Champion Witnesses Dip In Collections On Day 2

According to a leading distributor, collections for the much-hyped film Champion witnessed a noticeable dip on its second day at the box office. “The film managed to collect only about Rs 1.5 crore net in the Telugu states on Day 2, which is a significant drop,” he says.

He adds that the patriotic sports drama had opened on a strong note, collecting Rs 2.5 crore net on Day 1, largely riding on an aggressive promotional campaign by Swapna Cinema. “Big names such as S S Rajamouli and Jr NTR tweeted in support of the film, while Ram Charan personally endorsed it at a promotional event. These endorsements helped the film gain an initial advantage despite stiff competition from Christmas Day releases,” the distributor explains.

However, mixed word of mouth appears to have affected the film’s momentum in several centres. “The uneven blend of sports drama and patriotism didn’t work everywhere,” he notes. While young actor Roshan Meka—son of popular actors Srikanth and Ooha—looked promising and gave his best, director Pradeep Advaitham failed to deliver a convincing and logical narration.

“Taking up the revered Bairanpally Armed Struggle and attempting to package it within a commercial hero format did not go down well with sections of the audience,” the distributor points out.

Roshan Meka, who made his debut with Nirmala Convent and tasted success with Pelli SandaD, reportedly dedicated nearly three years to Champion, hoping it would emerge as a modern-day Lagaan. “In Lagaan, Aamir Khan’s character was deeply rooted in the village, and the emotional build-up to forming a cricket team against the mighty Britishers was compelling. Champion fails to offer a similar emotional high or sense of catharsis,” he concludes.