The result of the much anticipated Sankranti box office fight is out even before the end of the festival as small film Hanuman effortlessly conquered all other releases and emerged as a clear winner of the clash. The devotional extravaganza has already entered the safe zone in all territories and put its buyers in a happy mode. The film is most likely to continue its steady run in many areas due to the strong word of mouth.
As the festival season draws to a close, it is now going to be a big test ahead for the remaining three big-ticket films to recoup their investment. Mahesh Babu’s Guntur Kaaram performed on a decent note in the first three days despite mixed reports due to the festival season. As per trade estimates, buyers in major areas will suffer significant losses if the film fails to draw crowds from Wednesday as there won’t be any more festival advantage. It managed to recover 60 percent of its business and will need a steady run to minimize the losses.
Venkatesh’s action drama Saindhav has registered a very poor opening because of the genre and lack of entertaining elements. Even during the festival holidays, the collections were so dismal as moviegoers didn’t show much interest in watching the action-packed saga blended with an emotional backdrop. It didn’t even collect 40 percent of its business till now and chances look very bleak.
Akkineni Nagarjuna’s rustic entertainer Naa Saami Ranga has performed better than both Guntur Kaaram and Saindhav because of the mass elements and decent reports. The film recovered more than 70 percent of its investment and stands a chance to emerge as the second hit of Sankranti after Hanuman.
Luckily there are no notable releases in the next two weeks in Tollywood. So, all these films will have one last chance to change their current box office status.