May 2023 Box Office- Only Dubbing films bring cheer for buyers

It has been a disappointing Summer so far for Tollywood. While there are no notable big-ticket films like every year, the small and medium-budget films failed to make any noticeable impact at the box office. Only a couple of dubbing films and one small film managed to draw the attention of moviegoers among a flurry of releases.

As Agent and Ponniyin Selvan 2, which released in the last week of April, couldn’t sustain in the first week itself, trade circles expected a better reception for May releases.

Allari Naresh’s Ugram promised to be a hard-hitting drama with its intriguing and intense trailers. Despite receiving critical acclaim, the film failed to score commercial success at the ticket windows. Gopichand’s Rama Banam left no trace at the box office as it tanked heavily and was outrightly rejected by audiences. It ended as a huge debacle.

Naga Chaitanya’s Custody was the most awaited film of the season as it garnered good buzz due to the promising trailers and teasers. Unfortunately, the film couldn’t live up to the expectations and ended up a big failure at the box office. Bellamkonda Sreenivas starrer Chatrapati, a remake of Tollywood blockbuster of the same name, also couldn’t score success in any territory.

Nandini Reddy’s family and romantic outing Anni Manchi Sakunamule created good waves with its heartwarming content. However, it ended as another forgettable film of the month.

Bichagadu 2 and 2018 are two dubbing films that performed beyond expectations in Telugu. Vijay Anthony’s Bichagadu 2, a sequel to his 2016 blockbuster hit Bichagadu, emerged as the first hit of May for Telugu buyers. Though the sequel didn’t repeat a similar success like its predecessor, it managed to bring some respite for trade circles. On the other side, 2018 is a Malayalam survival thriller, which emerged as a blockbuster with its stupendous run in Telugu States. The strong word of mouth and unanimous reviews helped the film perform exceedingly well.

Small film ‘Mem Famous’ ended the disappointing month on a bright note as it managed to collect decent numbers in the first weekend. Due to aggressive promotions and strong backing from Tollywood bigwigs, the fun-filled entertainer emerged as a decent hit. Much hyped Malli Pelli, starring Naresh and Pavitra Lokesh, couldn’t draw any attention despite heavy publicity.