When was the last time a Telugu movie opened decently in the US? The same question holds true for the Telugu states as well. We haven’t had a biggie in a long while. The last such release was Sye Raa October 2nd.
It is two months now, and it has been an abysmal period for Telugu cinema with occupancies hitting rock bottom.
Under these circumstances, the December releases are providing a glimmer of hope. We have the long-awaited multistarrer Venky Mama, Ruler and Prati Roju Pandage arriving in cinemas this month.
Each of these films has the potential to open well. Venky Mama gets the advantage of being the first one to come after the long dry spell. It is Venkatesh’s next after the blockbuster success of F2 that started the year with a bang. The trade is hoping he closes it with the same impact.
Brand Maruthi has been reasonably successful in the US. All his last few films have opened well (with respect to the star and genre). The distributors would be hoping for a repeat with Prati Roju Pandage as well. Ruler, starring Balakrishna is the weakest of the lot, but it is still a star hero movie.
With all these films, the hope is that the audience turns up at the cinema. It would be a minor relief for the US market which would then brace up for the big bang in 2020 for the Sankranthi festival.
