2020 was a forgettable year for the Telugu film industry due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The year 2021 also witnessed the second wave of COVID-19, but the second half of the year gave filmmakers and movie buffs a reason to rejoice. The year saw many success stories in the theaters.
A look at films that worked at the box office…
Pushpa The Rise – Mixed Result, but Top Grosser
‘Pushpa’ hit the theaters in the last month of 2021, but it became the highest grosser of the year. The film may not be considered a blockbuster yet. In terms of total gross, yes it is the biggest film. The massive collections in the Hindi belt have contributed to its total gross. The success of ‘Pushpa’ in other states has also helped it post a big number.
However, Allu Arjun starrer has not yet reached the break-even Andhra Pradesh due to various factors. In Telangana, it might reach the safe zone.
‘Pushpa’ has brought rejoice to Allu Arjun and the production house Mythri Movie Makers as they could establish their names at the Pan-India level. ‘Pushpa’ also became the only South Indian film to have grossed $2 million-plus in the USA in 2021.
Vakeel Saab – Blockbuster
Pawan Kalyan’s ‘Vakeel Saab’ is a blockbuster. The film opened to a massive number on the first weekend. Though the film suffered due to the second wave of COVID-19, it has raked in a big amount in the initial days itself. It was Pawan Kalyan’s comeback film after a gap of nearly three years.
Akhanda – Blockbuster
Nandamuri Balakrishna’s ‘Akhanda’ is another success story. The film proved that the combination of director Boyapati Srinu and Nandamuri Balakrishna never goes wrong at the box office. They scored a hat-trick. The film created a new record in Telangana in Nandamuri Balakrishna’s career. However, it may not achieve the break-even stage in some pockets in Andhra Pradesh due to ticket prices. Overall, ‘Akhanda’ turned out to be the biggest hit in Nandamuri Balakrishna’s career.
Uppena – Blockbuster
Mythri Movie Makers, the leading production house, scored a massive hit with this love story featuring newcomers Panja Vaisshnav Tej and Krithi Shetty. The cute lead pair and Devi Sri Prasad’s songs did the magic. It was one of the biggest hits of this year.
Krack – Blockbuster
The first blockbuster of 2021 was Ravi Teja’s ‘Krack’. The film was released during the Sankranthi period and collected big money. It was the biggest hit in Ravi Teja’s career as well.
Jathi Ratnalu – Blockbuster
This was one of the biggest surprise hits at the box office. ‘Jathi Ratnalu’ is also the most profitable film in terms of return on investment. The film was a huge blockbuster.
Love Story – Hit
After the second wave, the first film that opened big was Sekhar Kammula’s ‘Love Story’. It took huge openings. However, it could not sustain the momentum for a long. Thus it ended up as a mere hit. The film also collected $1 million in the USA. Sai Pallavi’s magic, Sekhar Kammula’s brand name, and the songs have fetched a strong opening.
Most Eligible Bachelor – Average
Akhil and Pooja Hegde starrer ‘Most Eligible Bachelor’ has collected some decent money thanks to viral songs like “Leharayi Leharayi” composed by Gopi Sundar. Pooja Hegde’s star power has also helped the film. It is a pretty average grosser. It also collected half a million dollars in the USA.
Shyam Singha Roy – Good Start
Nani’s ‘Shyam Singha Roy’ took in strong openings in the first week. The film is also poised to join $1 million club in the USA. Its overall box-office range can only be known after the second weekend.
Etc
‘30 Rojullo Preminchukovadam Ela’, Pelli SandaD, SR Kalyana Mandapam, Zombie Reddy, Master, and Naandi have done decent business at the box office. ‘Raja Raja Chora’ won praise and did some decent business in Hyderabad.
