Mahesh's Guntur Kaaram A Hit on OTT?
Mahesh Babu's "Guntur Kaaram" arrived in theaters amidst much anticipation during the Sankranti festive season in Tollywood. However, despite the holiday fervor, the film failed to make a significant impact at the Indian box office, grossing just under 130 crores net. Its lackluster performance left many surprised given the star power and the festive release date. However, the tide seems to be turning for the film since its release on Netflix, where it is now capturing significant attention from viewers. Let's delve into the details!
Following "Sarkaru Vaari Paata," "Guntur Kaaram" marked Mahesh Babu's return to the big screen after a hiatus of one and a half years. Moreover, it marked the reunion of Mahesh Babu with renowned director Trivikram after their successful collaborations on "Athadu" and "Khaleja." While the film opened to a promising start, it struggled to maintain momentum from the second day onwards, leading to its underwhelming theatrical performance.
However, the story took a different turn upon its Netflix release, where "Guntur Kaaram" quickly ascended to the top 10 films on the platform, even in the category of non-English films. Notably, both the Telugu and Hindi versions of the film made it to the list for the period from February 5 to February 11, showcasing its growing popularity.
Premiering on Netflix on February 9, "Guntur Kaaram" managed to accumulate an impressive viewership of 3.1 million within just three days, encompassing both the Telugu and Hindi versions. If we include the dubbed Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam versions, the viewership might have surpassed 4 million views, indicating its widespread appeal across regions.
The Telugu version of "Guntur Kaaram" secured the 6th spot on the Netflix list, amassing 5.3 million hours of viewing time. Meanwhile, the Hindi version claimed the 10th spot with 2.8 million viewing hours within the same timeframe. Together, these two versions alone accumulated a staggering 8.1 million viewing hours, reflecting the film's strong streaming performance.
In terms of its worldwide box office run, "Guntur Kaaram" grossed 125.89 crores net domestically, equivalent to 148.55 crores gross. In the overseas market, it amassed a gross of 31 crores. Combining both domestic and international earnings, the film reached a global gross of 179.55 crores, underscoring its significance on both the big screen and the streaming platform.