Did ‘Kuberaa’ and ‘Kannappa’ really recover their budget?

The final weeks of June brought some relief to the Telugu film industry, with audiences returning to theaters in encouraging numbers. Among the films released, “Kuberaa” and “Kannappa” stood out by registering impressive openings relative to their scale and expectations. But how did they fare in the long run? Here’s a closer look at their final box office performance.

Kuberaa: An average grosser but…

Directed by Sekhar Kammula, one of the most respected filmmakers in Telugu cinema, “Kuberaa” opened to solid collections in the Telugu states. However, the film’s performance outside this core region didn’t meet expectations.

Although it was pitched as a pan-Indian film, “Kuberaa” failed to make any impact in the Hindi market and it was a complete washout there. In Tamil Nadu, despite Dhanush’s star power, the Tamil version underperformed significantly, making it a flop in that region as well.

With a production budget exceeding Rs 130 crore, even after factoring in non-theatrical revenues like OTT and music rights, the film didn’t enter profitable territory. The producers are either staring at a minor loss or have just about broken even.

Kannappa: Huge opening, but a financial setback

Manchu Vishnu’s “Kannappa” opened with the biggest numbers in his career, generating strong momentum over its first weekend. Thanks to aggressive promotions led by Vishnu and the support of stars like Prabhas, the devotional drama managed to rake in over Rs 30 crore worldwide.

However, the film witnessed a sharp decline after the initial days. Despite featuring high-profile guest appearances from Akshay Kumar and Mohanlal, the film failed to perform in the Hindi, Tamil, and Malayalam markets.

While Prabhas and Mohanlal reportedly waived their fees as a goodwill gesture to Mohan Babu, the production cost still ended up being quite steep. In the end, “Kannappa” incurred a financial loss for Manchu Vishnu. That said, the film did succeed in elevating his stature and credibility as an actor and producer.

Verdict

Both Kuberaa and Kannappa had promising starts but struggled to sustain momentum. Neither film emerged as a clear commercial success, though each offered different takeaways—one highlighting the risks of pan-Indian ambition, and the other boosting a career despite financial setbacks.