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First half of Tollywood in 2025: Fewer hits and many misses at the box office
Telugu cinema has had a rough first half of 2025. The industry failed to produce steady box office hits in spite of a number of well-known releases. It was a rather forgettable six months for Tollywood, with only a handful of films managing to shine while the majority either underperformed or completely bombed.
1/7
January: Uneven Beginning with a Huge Hit
Sankranthiki Vastunnam, Venkatesh's biggest hit to date, got the year off to a spectacular start. The movie drew enormous audiences and took centre stage during the holiday season. Profiting from the Sankranthi holiday foot traffic, Balakrishna's Daaku Maharaaj did mediocrely well. However, both critics and fans were left feeling let down by Ram Charan's highly anticipated Game Changer, which ended up being the year's biggest letdown.
Sankranthiki Vastunnam, Venkatesh's biggest hit to date, got the year off to a spectacular start. The movie drew enormous audiences and took centre stage during the holiday season. Profiting from the Sankranthi holiday foot traffic, Balakrishna's Daaku Maharaaj did mediocrely well. However, both critics and fans were left feeling let down by Ram Charan's highly anticipated Game Changer, which ended up being the year's biggest letdown.
2/7
February: The Return of Naga Chaitanya
Thandel, a lavish romantic action drama that struck a chord with viewers, was Naga Chaitanya's biggest hit to date. On the other hand, Mazaka, starring Sundeep Kishan, and Laila, starring Vishwak Sen, both underperformed at the box office.
Thandel, a lavish romantic action drama that struck a chord with viewers, was Naga Chaitanya's biggest hit to date. On the other hand, Mazaka, starring Sundeep Kishan, and Laila, starring Vishwak Sen, both underperformed at the box office.
3/7
March: Big Films Fail, Small Films Succeed
Nani produced a surprise winner in the Court in March. The courtroom drama became the most popular small-budget movie of the month after connecting with both critics and viewers. The brand value of the sequel, MAD Square, helped it turn a slight profit as well. But Kiran Abbavaram's Dilruba and Nithiin's Robinhood didn't leave an impression.
Nani produced a surprise winner in the Court in March. The courtroom drama became the most popular small-budget movie of the month after connecting with both critics and viewers. The brand value of the sequel, MAD Square, helped it turn a slight profit as well. But Kiran Abbavaram's Dilruba and Nithiin's Robinhood didn't leave an impression.
4/7
A Summer Slump in April
With no noteworthy successes, April turned out to be a dry spell for Tollywood. Odela 2 (Sampath Nandi), Arjun Son of Vyjayanthi (Kalyanram), Jack (Siddhu Jonnalagadda), and Sarangapani Jathakam (Priyadarshi) were all box office busts. To the dismay of theatre owners, the vital summer season was utterly squandered.
With no noteworthy successes, April turned out to be a dry spell for Tollywood. Odela 2 (Sampath Nandi), Arjun Son of Vyjayanthi (Kalyanram), Jack (Siddhu Jonnalagadda), and Sarangapani Jathakam (Priyadarshi) were all box office busts. To the dismay of theatre owners, the vital summer season was utterly squandered.
5/7
May: HIT 3 and Single Offer a Glimmer of Hope
Nani made a comeback with HIT 3, a gripping police thriller that did well at first, even though its high level of violence turned off some families. Sree Vishnu's single, which appealed to both young people and families, ended up being the summer's unexpected hit. But Bellamkonda Sreenivas' Bhairavam and Samantha's Shubam fell flat, and there were no other noteworthy triumphs for the month.
Nani made a comeback with HIT 3, a gripping police thriller that did well at first, even though its high level of violence turned off some families. Sree Vishnu's single, which appealed to both young people and families, ended up being the summer's unexpected hit. But Bellamkonda Sreenivas' Bhairavam and Samantha's Shubam fell flat, and there were no other noteworthy triumphs for the month.
6/7
June: Kuberaa Takes the Lead
With Kuberaa, starring Dhanush and Nagarjuna, June got off to a great start. The film, which was directed by Sekhar Kammula, achieved remarkable box office results by leveraging its stellar cast and compelling narrative. With Manchu Vishnu in it, Kannappa had the actor's best opening to date and is predicted to be a respectable hit. But 8 Vasanthalu, which was supported by Mythri Movie Makers, did not do well at the box office.
With Kuberaa, starring Dhanush and Nagarjuna, June got off to a great start. The film, which was directed by Sekhar Kammula, achieved remarkable box office results by leveraging its stellar cast and compelling narrative. With Manchu Vishnu in it, Kannappa had the actor's best opening to date and is predicted to be a respectable hit. But 8 Vasanthalu, which was supported by Mythri Movie Makers, did not do well at the box office.
7/7
Dubbed Movies: A Few Hits, Most Misses
Regarding dubbing, Pradeep Ranganathan's Tamil hit Dragon also had a strong Telugu performance. While the Hindi movie Chhaava did well in its dubbed version, Mohanlal's Thudarum received a respectable reception. However, Telugu audiences did not connect with star-heavy movies like Kamal Haasan's Thug Life and Ajith's Good Bad Ugly.
Regarding dubbing, Pradeep Ranganathan's Tamil hit Dragon also had a strong Telugu performance. While the Hindi movie Chhaava did well in its dubbed version, Mohanlal's Thudarum received a respectable reception. However, Telugu audiences did not connect with star-heavy movies like Kamal Haasan's Thug Life and Ajith's Good Bad Ugly.
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