The ongoing Indian Premier League is strongly affecting the box office performance of Tollywood films.
During the IPL season, audiences are more focused on watching cricket matches than going to theatres.
As a result, many newly released films are witnessing a visible drop in collections across several regions.
The impact is clearly seen during match timings. The first show and second show in theatres are turning dull as many moviegoers prefer to stay home and watch live cricket.
Even popular stars and well promoted films are finding it difficult to pull crowds during these hours because the IPL craze dominates evening entertainment.
The effect continues the next day as well. Morning shows are also witnessing weak attendance since fans stay up late to watch the matches.
Trade circles say that until the IPL season ends, theatres may continue to face slow footfalls, making it a challenging period for Tollywood releases.
Already the new releases Raakaasa and Biker are suffering from this IPL heat.
Trade circles say that even the upcoming films Dacoit: A Love Story and Love Insurance Kompany, which are scheduled to release on April 10, are also likely to face trouble affecting collections during match timings.
But the problem is that these IPL matches are scheduled to last until May 24.
So we need to see how many films will face trouble because of these matches and how many will overcome it with their compelling content.