Jana Nayakudu To Eat Share Into Sankranthi Revenues For Telugu Films

Even though Telugu film producers and distributors had earlier arrived at a broad understanding to defer the release of dubbed films during major festival seasons, that informal arrangement appears to have fallen apart this Sankranthi. In the past, Tamil star Vijay’s Varisu and Dhanush’s Captain Miller were released after the festival rush, respecting the crowded festive window dominated by Telugu releases. This year, however, the trend seems to have reversed.

Tamil superstar Vijay’s Jana Nayakudu is set to release on January 9, clashing directly with 'The Raja Saab' on same day and other Telugu releases during the Sankranthi season. According to a distributor, the film is expected to secure between 60 and 80 theatres across the two Telugu states. “These rules are just a farce,” the distributor remarked, questioning the one-sided nature of such arrangements. “Will Tamil distributors offer a similar window for a Telugu film like The Raja Saab during the Pongal festival in Tamil Nadu? However, Telugu exhibitors and distributors have no qualms in accommodating dubbed films,” he added.

As is customary every year, multiple Telugu films are lining up to occupy the majority of screens during the week-long Sankranthi holiday. Big-ticket releases such as Prabhas’ The Raja Saab, Chiranjeevi’s Mana Shankar Vara Prasad Garu, Ravi Teja’s Bhartha Mahasayulaku Wignyapthi, Naveen Polishetty’s Anaganaga Oka Raju and Sharwanand’s Nari Nari Naduma Murari are expected to dominate theatres. In such a crowded scenario, the entry of a dubbed Tamil film is seen by many as an added strain on screen availability and revenue potential.

“It is already difficult to manage screen allocation with so many Telugu films releasing together. Bringing in a dubbed film at this time will only cut into revenues,” the distributor pointed out.

Leading exhibitor Suniel Narang confirmed that Jana Nayakudu will indeed release on January 9 in the Telugu states. However, he refrained from revealing detailed information about the number of theatres the film is expected to secure.

With festival-season competition intensifying, the release of Jana Nayakudu has reignited the long-standing debate over fairness in screen allocation between Telugu and Tamil films during peak holiday windows.