Moneycontrol PRO
Swing Trading 101
Swing Trading 101

Telugu film ‘Couple Friendly’ gains momentum after positive reviews and support from Prabhas

The Valentine’s Day and Maha Shivaratri weekend turned out to be a mixed affair for the Telugu box office. Among the recent releases, Couple Friendly has managed to hold its ground and sustain steady business, while the other films that hit theatres this week are still striving to find their footing and gain momentum at the ticket counters.

February 16, 2026 / 10:28 IST
On its first day, Couple Friendly, which stars Santosh Sobhan and Manasa Varanasi, made roughly Rs 1.89 crore at the box office.
Snapshot AI
  • Couple Friendly earns Rs 1.89 crore on opening day
  • Prabhas praises Couple Friendly, boosting its popularity
  • Other Telugu releases struggle at the box office

The weekend of Valentine's Day and Maha Shivaratri has been a mixed bag at the Telugu box office. Couple Friendly, one of the films that was released this week, has been able to stay in business, while the other films that have been released are trying to make it work at the box office.

On its first day, Couple Friendly, which stars Santosh Sobhan and Manasa Varanasi, made roughly Rs 1.89 crore at the box office. As the day went on, the film saw more footfall in the theaters.

The young audience seems to have really liked the movie's love tale and the actors' performances. The movie went well on Sunday as well, but it needs to keep up the good work all week to become a hit.

On the other hand, Vishwak Sen's Funky was the biggest surprise of the weekend. As expected, the movie didn't do well at the box office, and reports claim that people didn't like the movie.

Arjun Sarja's first directorial, Seetha Payanam also didn't do better. It was hard for the movie to get people to go to the theaters, and some showings were canceled because there weren't enough people present. Another movie, Nilave, likewise didn't do well at the box office.

Overall, Couple Friendly provided Telugu films a little hope over the holiday weekend, but the other movies that came out made the holiday season generally disappointing.

Ashwin Chandrasekhar directed the movie. One of the main reasons why the movie got off to a good start was the relatable story, the light-hearted romance, and the performances of the lead actors.

Also read: Prabhas: Roles that defined his commanding screen presence

Adding to the excitement, pan-India star Prabhas publicly praised Couple Friendly and congratulated the team on its opening day success. His endorsement made the movie even more popular and got more people interested in it.

Couple Friendly is likely to do well at the box office thanks to good reviews. People will be keeping a close eye on how well the movie does over the weekend to see if it can stay at the box office.

Bhawana Tanmayi is a Hyderabad-based freelance entertainment journalist. Views expressed are personal.
first published: Feb 16, 2026 10:28 am

Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!

Subscribe to Tech Newsletters

  • On Saturdays

    Find the best of Al News in one place, specially curated for you every weekend.

  • Daily-Weekdays

    Stay on top of the latest tech trends and biggest startup news.

Advisory Alert: It has come to our attention that certain individuals are representing themselves as affiliates of Moneycontrol and soliciting funds on the false promise of assured returns on their investments. We wish to reiterate that Moneycontrol does not solicit funds from investors and neither does it promise any assured returns. In case you are approached by anyone making such claims, please write to us at grievanceofficer@nw18.com or call on 02268882347