Veteran film director Srinu Vaitla, who was once the undisputed kingpin of Tollywood with a string of blockbusters, suffered a dismal career slump post Aagadu. The formerly renowned director couldn’t repeat his earlier success and went on to give back-to-back flops with Bruce Lee, Mister, and Amar Akbar Anthony. After the commercial failure of Amar Akbar Anthony, Vaitla went on an extended holiday from direction, maintaining a low profile within the industry.
Following a few years of being away from the director’s seat, Viswam saw Srinu Vaitla make a low-key but stubborn return. The film was a Gopichand-starrer. The film had its share of production struggles — it started under one company and changed hands halfway through, resulting in predictable delays. In spite of the handicaps, Viswam did make it to the theatres in time for the competitive Dussehra season.
Although the film opened to mixed reviews and average initial collections, it still performed better than Vaitla’s previous outings. Speaking about the film’s journey, Vaitla expressed satisfaction with the outcome. He shared that Viswam witnessed a remarkable increase in collections on day two — nearly four times higher than its opening day, a rare feat in the current cinema landscape.
“In today’s times, if a film doesn’t impress on day one, it usually fades away. But Viswam gained momentum, thanks largely to the comedy sequences that clicked with the audience,” said Vaitla.
The director also highlighted that the film held strong in theatres, with over 140 screens still showing it in the Nizam region by its third week. Moreover, the film found a second wave of popularity through its OTT release, where it trended at the top soon after premiering.
However, due to internal production changes and undisclosed circumstances, the team could not officially celebrate the film’s success. Despite that, Vaitla considers Viswam a significant emotional win — a film that restored his confidence and reaffirmed his connection with the audience.