A Lucky Gap for Psych Siddhartha!

The Christmas movie rush has slowed down at the box office. Shambhala hit its expected target, and Eesha managed to stay afloat despite mixed reviews. However, Champion is facing challenges. Even though the makers say it made over eleven crore in the first weekend, the numbers have dropped during the week, which might not be enough for it to become a big hit. Unlike other films that keep gaining popularity with repeated holidays, Shambhala and Eesha don't have that benefit. They might still play in major cities for another week, but attention is now turning towards the New Year releases.

On January 1, the most talked about film is Psych Siddhartha, starring Nandu.

 Although Suresh Babu didn't produce it, he liked it so much that he released it through his production company, Suresh Productions. Directed by Varun Reddy, the film follows a carefree young man adjusting to life after a breakup, with a parallel story about a simple girl next door. The story feels fresh and different.

Nandu looks and performs very well, showing his best form in a long time.

 His efforts to look younger and more energetic are noticeable. Compared to other New Year releases that are having a hard time gaining traction, Psych Siddhartha has a better chance.

If the film gets good reviews, it can keep making decent money for at least a week.

 With The Raja Saab coming out only on January 9, Psych Siddhartha has a good time to draw in viewers. A positive reaction could help it break even and even make a profit, making it a smart choice for theaters during the holiday season.

Siddu, Swaroop, Sithara’s Unique Attempt!

Siddu Jonnalagadda is said to be ready to work with director Swaroop RSJ on a new and exciting project.

Swaroop RSJ made a big impression with his first movie, Agent Sai Srinivasa Athreya, and then followed it up with Mishan Impossible, a more experimental film that showed his interest in making unusual kinds of movies.

According to sources, Siddu has already shown strong support for Swaroop's upcoming story.

The film is expected to mix action with fun and entertainment, giving Siddu the chance to display his usual on-screen charm and also try something new in his acting.

Siddu was impressed by the unique script and has already agreed to be part of the project.

 Naga Vamsi from Sithara Entertainments is likely to fund the movie.

If all the plans work out, the film could start filming soon.

Raja Saab Sets the Ground in South, but What About North?

The horror romantic comedy 'The Raja Saab' is the next big movie that will be released across the country, thanks to Prabhas' huge popularity in both South India and North India.

 The film is directed by Maruthi and will be shown on January 9th, right before the popular Sankranti festival.

The film was made on a big budget, and the makers sold it for a lot of money in many languages, including Hindi.

 Now, the movie needs a great performance at the theaters to make back its money and ensure the investors are safe. For this to happen, the film needs to benefit from Prabhas' huge fan base and the excitement he generates among Hindi-speaking people. How the film performs in Hindi markets will decide its overall success at the box office.

So far, 'The Raja Saab' has created a big buzz in Tollywood before its release.

 This is because of the exciting audio event and the second trailer, which left everyone impressed. Not many expected Maruthi to make such amazing and emotional visuals with a mix of drama and humor.

But there is one problem now.

 The makers have not started promoting the film in North India yet. This is strange and a bit surprising because Prabhas has a huge fan following in the North, more than any other South actor. Also, the film needs to do well in Hindi circuits to be a box office hit.

Horror comedies are a popular genre in Bollywood.

 When these films are well made and have strong characters, they usually do well with the audience in the North. Recent examples include 'Stree 2' and 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3', which had a lot of people watching them.

Since 'The Raja Saab' is in the same category, and it has Prabhas in the lead along with big Bollywood stars like Sanjay Dutt and Zarina Wahab, all it needs is a strong marketing push to give the film a good start.

 Unfortunately, so far the makers have not done much for Hindi promotion, which is quite surprising.

With less than two weeks before the release, the team needs to increase promotions in all languages, especially in Hindi.

 They should focus more on the North to build up excitement before the film comes out.

The performance of the film in Hindi markets will be watched closely by movie experts because the box office numbers are important.

 Though it's late, there is still time for the team to start some campaigns in major North cities in the coming days, especially bringing in Sanjay Dutt to help promote the film.

As the recent Bollywood blockbuster 'Dhurandhar' continues to draw crowds, 'The Raja Saab' needs strong promotions to shift the audience's focus towards it.

 This will create enough buzz and lead to a great opening.

Vanga Planning a New Year Blast with Spirit First Look?

Sandeep Reddy Vanga is one of the most exciting and unique filmmakers of his time, and he is currently working on his biggest project yet called Spirit, which stars Prabhas.

It seems Sandeep has a special connection with New Year’s as he’s making it a habit.

 After releasing the first look of his previous movie Animal on New Year's night in 2023 (December 31, 2022), he is now expected to do the same for Spirit.

According to some insider information, Sandeep is likely to unveil the first look poster of Spirit on New Year's night again.

 This might be the second time in a row that he releases the first look of his films on New Year’s.

It is said that a major shoot for the first look poster has already taken place, and the poster is expected to be released just in time for New Year’s night.

 This would come after the film’s voice promo, which was a huge hit.

In the case of Animal, people weren’t sure what to expect, but Sandeep delivered a stunning poster for Ranbir that went viral.

Now, the expectations are even higher for this collaboration between Sandeep and Prabhas.

 Everyone is watching closely for the big reveal that is likely to happen on New Year's night.

Andhra King Taluka Trends No.1 on Netflix India

"Andhra King Taluka, with Ram Pothineni playing the loyal fan Sagar and Upendra as the superstar Surya Kumar, had a great run in theaters before becoming a hit on OTT platforms. The movie was directed by Mahesh Babu P and produced by Mythri Movie Makers. It mixes action, comedy, and deep emotions, focusing on themes like fandom and chasing dreams.

The film debuted on Netflix on December 25th and quickly became one of the trending shows in India.

 It is available in all South Indian languages and Hindi, making it a popular choice for families. Ram’s realistic acting and his romantic scenes with Bhagyashri Borse, along with the exciting ending with Upendra, were big highlights. The movie’s chart-topping soundtrack also added to its appeal.

Thanks to its huge success on OTT, Andhra King Taluka is now the top trending film on Netflix across the country.

 It has become a must-watch for weekends, attracting both young audiences and families on the small screen."

Champion Makes Roshan A Star: Swapna Dutt

"Champion" is a sports and period action movie with patriotic themes.

 Roshan and Anaswara Rajan are the main actors in the film. The team had a success meeting today.

Swapna Dutt, the producer, made a special comment.

 She said that at Vyjayanthi Movies and Swapna Cinema, they like making strong, content-rich, and challenging movies instead of easy or low-risk projects.

She said, "Producers Kiran, GK Mohan, and Zee were very supportive.

 I handled the production for this movie, and they never questioned the budget. We feel good making films like this. When Pradeep told me the story, I was really excited. At that time, we were working on Sita Ramam and Kalki, and we were talking about who should play Michael—whether a big hero or a young one. GK Mohan sent Roshan’s photo and said, 'We found Michael.' Roshan gave more than three years of his best time to this film."  

Swapna added, "People in the industry think that Srikanth’s son has good looks and will become a big star.

 We wanted an actor with no past baggage for the role. I’m happy that 'Champion' has made Roshan a star."  

Roshan also talked about his emotions while working on the film, especially the scenes from Bairanpally.

 He said, "Swarna akka is like an elder sister to me. She gave me a lot of encouragement and confidence. I also can’t forget the support from Gemini Kiran and GK Mohan. I don’t know why Kalyan Chakravarthy stopped acting, but I hope he will come back now."

Akhanda 2 Refuse To Give Up in B, C Centres

Because of a late release and some mixed reviews, Nandamuri Balakrishna's highly anticipated mythological action film Akhanda 2, which was his fourth movie with director Boyapati Srinu, didn't reach the box office numbers people were hoping for.

But even after two weeks, the film is still doing well in B and C centres, especially on weekends and holidays.

After a good start, the movie saw a drop in collections at the A centres' multiplexes.

 However, Balakrishna's popularity among mass audiences is helping it perform well in B and C centres. Since most new films aren't doing well, Akhanda 2 is still making decent money because of good turnout in single screens at B and C centres. It made more than 1 crore every day during the second week.

Taking advantage of the Christmas holiday, the film made over 2 crores on Thursday.

 The total collection is now close to 120 crores, and trade experts think it might do well in the upcoming weekend and on New Year's Eve.

Even though Balakrishna's strong acting and exciting action scenes worked well for the masses, the film didn't live up to the high hopes for the sequel.

Still, Akhanda 2 crossed the 100 crore mark and is the fifth movie in Balakrishna's career to reach that milestone.

However, the box office goal for this sequel, which had huge expectations before it came out, is much higher than what it has made so far.

 Plus, the film did great in pre-release sales in all areas. That's why it's expected to end up as a moderate performer from a trade perspective.