Natural Star Nani hit the peak of stardom with Middle-Class Abbayi which came way back in December 2017. Since then he has had four releases, with Gang Leader being the fourth.
MCA – 7.55 Cr (9.31 Cr)
Gang Leader on its opening day has collected around 4.5 Cr in Telugu states. It also includes hires in a few areas, which mean the actuals would be slightly less. These numbers, therefore are a lower than his last three releases, Jersey, Devadas, and Krishnarjuna Yuddham. The same is the story when seen worldwide (the numbers in bracket) as well.
Gang Leader – 4.50 Cr (5.71 Cr)
Jersey – 4. 50 Cr (6.82 Cr)
Devadas – 4.61 Cr (7 Cr)
Krshnarjuna Yuddham – 4.58 Cr (5.61 Cr)
Nenu Local – 4.45 Cr (6.01 Cr)
Ninnu Kori – 4.59 Cr (6.22 Cr)
Looking at the numbers, one gets get a feeling that Nani has reached a stagnant phase in the second league of stars. The kind of unanimous position he enjoyed at the start of 2018 is gone now as others in the competition have picked up.
Dear Comrade, Majili, Ismart Shankar etc. all have opened bigger than Gang Leader. The long-run is dependent on the content. And even on this score Jersey has proved to be a dampener. Gang Leader could become another addition by the end of its run. It is doing well on the second day, so, we are not going to write it off already.
Dear Comrade – 6.97 Cr
Ismart Shankar – 7.83 Cr
Majili – 5.35 Cr
If we analyze a little bit, maybe lack of heroism and classy presentation seem to be hurting Nani. The over-emphasis on comedy is limiting the mass penetration, which is so essential to take the next leap in stardom.
The immediate next film of Nani is going to be V under Mohan Krishna Indraganti’s direction. Then there are rumored projects with Shiva Nirvana, and Hanu Raghavapudi etc. None of these gives the big mass movie vibe. It suggests that the struggle to get big numbers might continue in the near future as well. Therefore, providing an opportunity for competitors to get ahead.
