Three new movies release this Friday: Ghaati, Madharaasi, and Little Hearts. Though Little Hearts has been able to grab the attention of the audience with good word of mouth and a decent performance, the other two movies have not been able to meet expectations. With star power in the form of Anushka Shetty in Ghaati and Sivakarthikeyan in Madharaasi, the two movies have failed to find a connection with the audience.
What’s actually making headlines, though, is the choice that Telugu cinephiles are favoring when it comes to horror movies over these new movies. The industry has witnessed a major changeover, where audiences appear to be more interested in viewing supernatural thrillers rather than local movies, which is remarkably rare.
Hollywood’s Conjuring franchise has gained a huge and dedicated fan base globally, particularly for horror movie fans. The most recent addition to the franchise, The Conjuring: Last Rites, has also followed the same pattern of popularity, generating much interest among the audience. With its chilling horror plot and popularity of the franchise, people have been more interested in The Conjuring: Last Rites compared to the freshly released Telugu movies. This is seen in the bookings for the tickets, with the Hollywood film receiving greater demand compared to the Indian movies by a wide margin.
What is surprising is the jarring difference in how audiences are responding. In spite of the big names of well-established actors like Anushka Shetty and Sivakarthikeyan in the Indian films, it is the horror film that is dominating the box office.