Director Shankar has had his series of disappointments in recent times with the output from his films. The highly ambitious project Indian 2, which featured the one and only Kamal Haasan, garnered mixed reviews and eventually went to become the biggest disappointment declared to this date. Failure is indeed a great teacher; hence, people began to doubt Shankar’s capacity to repeat the success of his movies like Robo and Anniyan. However, with Game Changer, which will have Telugu superstar Ram Charan in the lead, Shankar is making the next move.
Game Changer is a big film for Shankar as well as for Ram Charan. It is Shankar’s first collaboration with a major Telugu star. The film is expected to be a pan-Indian release, which is a new norm for big-ticket films in recent years. Coming during Sankranti, a prime time for box-office success, expectations are high. However, Game Changer will act as a litmus test for Shankar’s career moving forward. He needs to bring home a hit with this project because his reputation and other projects depend on the outcome of this film. There is already a positive buzz that people are waiting to see what Shankar has in store, and the box office collection will be a key marker of its success.
Beyond the immediate success of Game Changer, the film holds much more significance for Shankar’s upcoming project, Indian 3. The next installment in the Indian franchise, which features Kamal Haasan, has been highly anticipated by the fans and critics alike. Indian 3’s filming had been done before the release of Indian 2, but after Indian 2 was received very badly at the box office, much has been discussed about Indian 3 to whether it would release on theaters or not. Reports also said that it may bypass theaters and get released directly on OTT platforms.
But Shankar has put an end to all those news items by stating in all recent interviews that Indian 3 will hit the theatre screens this summer. Nonetheless, that is only and only if Game Changer pulls off the trick. If Game Changer does not do well at the box office, then the capability to get buyers for Indian 3 could be badly dented. Because of the hefty budget and hype associated with it, distribution deals would need to be signed to facilitate its theatrical release.
Thus, the success or failure of Game Changer becomes extremely critical not only for Shankar’s immediate future but also for the future of Indian 3. The team behind Indian 3 is closely watching the release of Game Changer, hoping that it would be a major success that will bolster Shankar’s reputation and secure the required backing for his next big project. All eyes will be on the box office performance of Game Changer, which would go a long way in deciding Shankar’s future career path.