Is the 3-Hour Runtime the New Norm?

In the late 1900s, movies often lasted three to four hours.

 But in the past ten years, three-hour films became less common. Now, there's a shift happening, and three-hour runtimes are slowly becoming the standard again.

Not too long ago, many filmmakers set their own limits, keeping movies around two hours and thirty minutes to two hours and forty-five minutes.

 With the rise of short-form content on smartphones, they thought audiences wouldn’t want to sit through a three-hour film.

But recent movies like *Animal*, *Pushpa 2: The Rule*, and *Dhurandhar* have shown that runtime isn’t a problem, even with so much short-form content around.

 If a movie is interesting, its length doesn’t feel like a burden. On the flip side, even shorter films can feel boring if they don’t keep people engaged.

Filmmakers have always aimed to tell stories in detail and depth.

 The success of movies that go beyond three hours and make over ₹1,000 crore at the box office shows they are getting more comfortable with longer runtimes. They’re not treating time as a strict rule anymore.

This trend is also seen in upcoming movies like *The Raja Saab* and *Jana Nayagan*, which are expected to be over three hours and ten minutes and three hours and five minutes respectively.

 Many big-budget, pan-India films are now choosing longer runtimes, supporting the idea that three hours is becoming the new norm.

That said, there’s still a risk.

 If a long movie isn’t engaging, its length can actually make the experience worse.

A Packed List of Releases This Christmas

 The Christmas season is turning out to be a very busy time at the cinemas. If Akhanda 2 had come out on December 5 as planned, many smaller films would have been released the week after. But since the film is now showing on December 12, several other movies had no choice but to delay their release dates.

While Mowgli was able to come out just one day later, most other films decided to move away from that week.

 Many of them are now aiming for Christmas as their new release date. This means the holiday period will have a lot of mid-range, small budget, and dubbed films. With no big star films in the mix, audiences are in for a mini film festival during the festive season.

Roshan Meka's Champion and Aadi Saikumar's Shambhala were already planned for Christmas and are staying on schedule.

 Now, several more films have joined this list. The horror film Eesha, which was originally set for December 12, has been moved to December 25. Reports also suggest Annagaaru Vastaru is shifting to the same festive slot.

Other films are also heading towards Christmas.

 Dandora, starring Shivaji, is aiming for a Christmas release. Kannada star Kichcha Sudeep's new film Mark is joining the race and will also be released in Telugu. Mohanlal's experimental film Vrushhabha is also coming out during the same season, and with Geetha Arts handling distribution, it's expected to do well. Along with these, smaller films like Pathang and Vanara have also chosen the holiday season.

krithi shetty  

Around eight films are getting ready to release in the last week of December.

 Since none of them are big budget films, and some are dubbed films, there may not be a big problem with screen availability. The big question now is which film will catch the audience's attention and become the festive hit.

LIK – Dude Scenario for Karuppu – Suriya 46?

 In recent times, the timing of movie releases has become less predictable. Some films that were supposed to come out first are being delayed, while others that were planned to come later are coming out earlier. This has happened with some of Pradeep Ranganathan's films. His movie LIK (Love Insurance Kompany) was originally set for an August 2025 release, and Dude was supposed to come out in October 2025. However, by December, Dude had already come out as planned, while LIK is now expected to come out in February 2026.

Although the exact reasons aren’t officially shared, it’s believed that delays in post-production and a slowdown in digital deals are playing a big role.

 These deals are not as profitable as they used to be. When the offers aren’t good enough, producers tend to wait for better options. Once they get a deal, it’s usually the OTT platform that decides the theatrical release date, because they plan their schedules a long time in advance. This has made it harder to predict when movies will come out. This situation seems to apply to both LIK and Dude, and now Suriya’s films are also facing a similar challenge.

After finishing Kanguva, Suriya started shooting for Karuppu, which stars Trisha and is directed by RJ Balaji, who made his directorial debut with Mookuthi Amman (Ammoru Thalli in Telugu).

 While making Karuppu, Suriya also joined a straight Telugu film directed by Venky Atluri, which is tentatively titled Suriya 46. He recently completed shooting for Suriya 46.

Karuppu was originally planned for a Diwali 2025 release but has been delayed because the producers couldn’t find an OTT partner at the price they wanted.

 With the movie almost finished, the team is now considering a summer release. However, there's a twist. Suriya 46 has already been completed, and the makers are planning a summer 2026 release. Netflix has acquired the digital rights for Suriya 46, following the success of Venky Atluri’s previous film, Lucky Baskhar, on the platform. The deal for Suriya 46 is said to be smooth and historic in terms of success.

It is now reported that the Karuppu team has reached out to the makers of Suriya 46 to adjust their release plans, as both are aiming for a summer release.

 However, it doesn’t seem like things are looking favorable for Karuppu. It seems likely that Suriya 46 will go ahead with its release first. If this happens, Karuppu might have to come out in early 2026 without further delays in its theatrical release. It’s still unclear which film will hit the theaters first—Suriya 46 or Karuppu.

Karuppu stars Suriya, Trisha, and others.

 It is directed by RJ Balaji and produced by S R Prakash Babu and S R Prabhu under Dream Warrior Pictures, with music by Sai Abhyankkar. Suriya 46 is likely to be titled Vishwanathan and Sons. The film stars Suriya, Mamitha Baiju, Raveena Tandon, and others. It is directed by Venky Atluri and produced by Naga Vamsi under Sithara Entertainments, with music by GV Prakash.

NBK’s Rare Box Office Run Continues Irrespective of WOM

Nandamuri Balakrishna is the only senior actor in Tollywood who has kept delivering successful movies after the COVID-19 pandemic. He made back-to-back hits with Akhanda, Veera Simha Reddy, Bhagavanth Kesari, and Daaku Maharaj. His latest movie, Akhanda 2, is also doing well at the box office even though some people didn't like it much.

Even though the movie was delayed because of money issues and legal problems, it came out in style last Friday and earned a lot of money in the first weekend.

 In just three days, it made 61 crores in India alone. Even with average reviews and not many good word-of-mouth comments, it's doing well on Monday and is heading towards the 100 crore mark.

The film is directed by Boyapati Srinu and has already made 50 crores in the first three days.

 This makes it the fifth movie in a row for Balakrishna to cross the 50 crore mark. Akhanda 2 is expected to cross the 100 crore mark in the next few days. This is a rare achievement for a big star, as Balakrishna is the only seasoned actor with five consecutive films that have made over 100 crores.

This is also the first time in Balakrishna's five-decade career that five of his movies have done well at the box office despite not getting great reviews.

 His next film is with Gopichand Malineni, and it's a period drama with action elements. There's already a lot of buzz about this new movie.

Akhanda 2: Thaandavam relies heavily on Nandamuri Balakrishna's popularity and strong on-screen presence.

 The movie also features Samyuktha Menon, Aadhi Pinisetty, Harshaali Malhotra, Kabir Duhan Singh, and Saswata Chatterjee in supporting roles.

Producer Expresses Desire to Launch Akira with Pan World Film

Akira Nandan's upcoming debut has become one of the most eagerly awaited releases in Telugu cinema. As the son of Power Star Pawan Kalyan, Akira has already created a lot of buzz among Mega fans and the younger generation. Even though he hasn't been involved in films so far, any time he makes an appearance or even celebrates his birthday, social media gets really excited.

Recently, Akira has been seen at various public and private events with his father, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan.

 These appearances have generated even more interest, with fans noticing his strong body and confident way of carrying himself. His fitness and energy are attracting not just Mega fans, but also general Tollywood audiences. Akira has also been joining Pawan Kalyan on spiritual trips, which has made people curious and admire him more.

At the moment, Akira is focusing on music and martial arts, and it's believed he will make his acting debut in a few years.

 There are reports that he has started acting classes. Naturally, there is a lot of interest in who will launch his career and which director and producer will take on this task.

TG Vishwaprasad, the head of People Media Factory, has made a notable comment about this.

 He said that if he gets the chance to launch Akira, it won't be a film meant for just India, but something that will go global.

In an interview, Vishwaprasad talked about his relationship with Pawan Kalyan and the possibility of working together again.

 He also answered questions regarding making a film with Akira.

When asked about Akira, Vishwaprasad said that if the opportunity comes, they would definitely want to launch him.

 He clearly stated that he would make a global film with Akira. He also mentioned that People Media Factory is already working on a global project, which will be announced soon. According to him, considering Akira's height and personality, he feels Akira is perfect for a leading role and has a strong interest in launching his career.

Things Moving Fast for Rowdy Janardhana

Things are moving quickly for the movie Rowdy Janardhana. Vijay Deverakonda is currently working on two films at the same time. One is directed by Rahul Sankrityan, and the other is directed by Ravi Kiran Kola. After completing the film Kingdom, Vijay started shooting for Sankrityan’s film, which is set in the Rayalaseema region and was announced as his 14th film. He then joined Ravi Kiran Kola’s film, Rowdy Janardhana, which is his 15th film. But the progress on Rowdy Janardhana is moving much faster than expected.

Rowdy Janardhana is starring Vijay Deverakonda and Keerthy Suresh.

 The film is being produced by Dil Raju under Sri Venkateswara Creations. It was launched in October, and the team started shooting immediately across several locations, including Mumbai and Hyderabad. Now, according to reports, the makers are planning to release a teaser, and they have mentioned December 18 as the likely date. The title of the film will be officially revealed along with the teaser, confirming the title Rowdy Janardhana.

The teaser launch event is set for December 18 at Prasads in Hyderabad.

 This date also marks the 55th birthday of producer Dil Raju, and the teaser is being launched to celebrate this special occasion. Even though Vijay is shooting both films at the same time, Rowdy Janardhana is getting top priority because the other film requires a lot of visual effects. Vijay has already dedicated four months starting in January entirely to Rowdy Janardhana. The makers are aiming for a release during Dussehra 2026. After that, Vijay’s film with Rahul Sankrityan, produced by Mythri Movie Makers, will be released next.

Rowdy Janardhana is directed by Ravi Kiran Kola, with music composed by Christo Xavier, who has worked in Malayalam cinema.

 The cinematography is handled by Anand C. Chandran. This rural action film is set for release during Dussehra 2026.

Can DSP bring back his vintage magic with UBS ?

 The Devi Sri Prasad Telugu audience knows is different from who he is now. Even though he still remains a top composer in South cinema and gets a good salary, it has been a long time since he made an album that had both classic and popular songs, along with a fantastic background score that really brought the story scenes to life.

Even though he played a big part in the huge success of Pushpa 2, his work was overshadowed by a big controversy before the movie came out.

 People thought he hadn't finished his re-recording on time. Even though he won awards with Thandel and Kuberaa earlier this year, many feel like he isn't doing the kind of work that made him famous before.

Now, the first song from Pawan Kalyan's Ustaad Bhagat Singh, Dekhlenge Saala, has become a hit right away.

 The music sounds a lot like the magic of DSP during his best years. The tune is easy to dance to, with fun lyrics that take people back to the time when his music made everyone happy and moved crowds with his best compositions.

Fans are feeling that Devi Sri Prasad might have a special album planned for Ustaad Bhagat Singh.

 It's because both Harish Shankar and Pawan Kalyan are working together again for the second time since their big hit Gabbar Singh, which is a beloved film for all of them.

Devi Sri Prasad's amazing music and background scores were a major part of Gabbar Singh's success.

 The first song from Ustaad Bhagat Singh hints that DSP might be returning to his best form. If the album has the same quality as before, it could cause a big rush at the box office.