Tollywood is still reeling from July’s setbacks, and August brought no relief. Big hopes rested on two major releases; War 2 and Coolie.
Both films opened with impressive first-day collections, sparking optimism. Yet, within days, the buzz turned sour.
War 2 collapsed under negative talk from the very first show, while Coolie showed promise but quickly dropped. Industry chatter suggests losses of nearly Rs 40 crores for War 2 and about Rs 8 crores for Coolie.
Smaller releases fared no better. 'Sir Madam' failed to lift the dull season that began in July. 'Bakasura Restaurant' disappeared without a trace, while Mahesh Babu’s re-release 'Athadu' managed to shine briefly.
Mid-month, films like 'Meghalu Cheppina Premakatha' and 'Parada' arrived. Despite featuring Anupama Parameswaran in an emotional role, Parada couldn’t attract audiences.
By the final week, Malayalaam dubbed version 'Kotha Lokha' has come and pulled some attention initially but gone down drastically. 'Tribanadhari Barbarik' gone unnoticed. The re-release of Pawan Kalyan’s Thammudu also didn't pull any attention.
From star-driven spectacles to modest ventures, August turned out to be yet another month of disappointment for Tollywood.