Rs 100 crore riding on three Dussehra Releases

After 40-odd flops, Tollywood is eagerly awaiting for the releases of two big-ticket Telugu films ‘Bhagavanth Kesari’ and ‘Tiger Nageswara Rao’ besides the dubbed Tamil film ‘Leo’ starring Kollywood star Vijay. “More than Rs 100 crores on riding on these three films and it would be crucial for them to set the office on fire since the industry has suffered more than 40-odd flops this year,” says a distributor, who claims that Dusshera is a big festival for movies in two Telugu states.

“Telugu people love to watch movies during Dussehra festival and like to go to movies with their families. Since they celebrate this 9-day festival grandly and particularly last three to four days are important to draw collections at ticket windows,” he adds.

Nandamuri Balakrishna and Ravi Teja are coming up with action adventures like ‘Bhagavanth Kesari’ and ‘Tiger Nageswar Rao’ respectively which have generated a lot of hype. “If these two films live up to high expectations then it would augur well for the industry. If the content strikes a chord with the masses and classes alike, then it would be a true festival for Tollywood. They will surely draw openings but they shouldn’t disappoint with clichéd content,” he points out.

Tamil star Vijay is also testing his waters in two Telugu states this holiday season since his much-hyped Tamil film ‘Leo’ with director Lokesh Kanagaraj also triggered expectations. “Telugu version will be released in a good number of theatres in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and it could cash in on the holiday crowds if the story is universal,” he concludes.