Even before the launch of Mahesh Babu’s AMB Cinemas Bangalore, fans and movie lovers raised doubts about the multiplex’s location. Their concern has become true as the multiplex is finding it tough to bring audiences.
AMB Hyderabad, in Gachibowli, has been a remarkable success. It quickly became one of the most popular multiplexes in the city, consistently registering great occupancies and high demand.
But the situation is different in Bengaluru. The newly opened AMB there is seeing lower occupancies. To attract audiences, free refreshments (samosas) are being offered, which clearly shows that the response is not strong yet.
The main issue appears to be the location for AMB Cinemas Bangalore. Premium multiplexes usually work well in IT areas with young crowds and good accessibility. The Bengaluru AMB is located in a crowded commercial area with heavy traffic, which does not match a high-end multiplex experience.
Because of this, AMB’s move to Bengaluru looks challenging, and the success seen in Hyderabad may be difficult to repeat there.
Mana Shankara Vara Prasad (MSG), starring Chiranjeevi and directed by Anil Ravipudi, emerged as the biggest Sankranti blockbuster at the box office. There is now a strong excitement for the OTT release of MSG.
The film, released in theaters on January 12th, became the highest-grossing film in the careers of both Chiranjeevi and Anil Ravipudi, collecting around ₹285 crore in gross collections so far. The film delivered huge profits to all those involved and was widely celebrated as a sensational blockbuster.
The digital streaming rights of the film were acquired by Zee5. Earlier, the makers were reportedly planning a March release with a simultaneous television and OTT premiere, similar to Sankranthiki Vasthunam.
But the latest buzz suggests that MSG: Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu will arrive on OTT much earlier. The film is now expected to start streaming on Zee5 in the second week of February, most likely from February 11.
Sivakarthikeyan’s Parasakthi, which was released during the Pongal festival, failed to meet expectations and ended up as a box office failure. The film’s OTT release details are out now.
Even though the film gained an advantage due to the postponement of Jana Nayagan, it could not sustain its initial momentum. While it recorded good collections over the opening weekend, the earnings dropped significantly on weekdays, leading to disappointing overall results.
The film failed to cross the ₹100 crore mark and collected around ₹85 crore gross worldwide.
The digital streaming rights of Sivakarthikeyan’s Parasakthi have been acquired by Zee5. The film will begin streaming from February 7. The Telugu version did not receive a theatrical release and is expected to premiere directly on OTT along with the Tamil version on the same date.
Naveen Polishetty’s Anaganaga Oka Raju, the Sankranthi blockbuster is all set for its OTT release. Following the regular theatrical to OTT window, the film will make its digital debut in the second week of February.
The film was released in theaters on January 14th for Sankranti, and emerged as the second biggest blockbuster after Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu, collecting around ₹80 crore gross worldwide, a major blockbuster at the box office.
Anaganaga Oka Raju’s digital rights were bagged by Netflix, and the movie’s OTT release date is February. It will be available for streaming in all languages.
Directed by Maari, the film stars Meenakshi Chaudhary as the female lead, and it is produced by Suryadevara Naga Vamsi under the Sithara Entertainments Banner.
NTR and director Nelson have signed a big project under Naga Vamsi’s production banner. Initially, the film was planned to begin this year after the release of Jailer 2. But due to other commitments, the film has now been postponed and is expected to be on hold for nearly two years.
At present, NTR is busy with Dragon, directed by Prashant Neel, which is said to be a two-part film. Along with this, Devara 2 is also in the pipeline, and he has another film planned with Trivikram.
On the other hand, Nelson has an exciting new project coming up, a multistarrer featuring Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, which he is set to direct. This combination is almost locked, with the film expected to be produced under Kamal Haasan’s banner. After completing Jailer 2, Nelson will begin work on this prestigious project.
Given the large scale of the Rajinikanth–Kamal Haasan film, it is expected to be completed by the second half of 2028. By that time, NTR is also likely to finish his current commitments. As a result, the NTR–Nelson project is most likely to go on floors only in 2028.
Dhurandhar is one of the most sensational films in recent years and has broken several records in Hindi cinema. Its OTT release was highly awaited. Bit the arrival of Dhurandhar on Netflix received mixed and strong reactions from viewers.
The film began streaming on Netflix in Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi from yesterday. Audiences were very excited about its digital premiere, but after watching it, many viewers felt disappointed and started criticizing Netflix on social media.
Several users questioned the platform, asking what the point of subscribing to Netflix is if viewers are made to watch downgraded versions of films. They complained about color changes, muted audio, edited scenes, and a trimmed runtime that is nearly 10 minutes shorter than the theatrical version.
Many people expected a bigger and uncut experience of Dhurandhar on Netflix compared to theatres, and that did not happen, which led to frustration and strong reactions from viewers.
Allu Arjun’s upcoming film, AA22, with Atlee is a sci-fi entertainer based on the multiverse concept. It is a mega-budget project and is expected to be one of the biggest films from Indian cinema, aiming for a global release. But AA22 is facing competition from Prabhas’s Spirit and Mahesh – Rajamouli’s Varanasi.
The film was originally planned for a Summer 2027 release. But as said above, two major films have now been announced for the same period.
One is Prabhas and Sandeep Vanga’s Spirit, scheduled to release on March 5. The other is Mahesh Babu and SS Rajamouli’s Varanasi, set for April 7. Big films of this scale usually need at least a one-month gap between releases, and Spirit and Varanasi already maintain that gap.
Because of this competition, Allu Arjun’s film, AA22, is unlikely to release in March or April. If the makers still want a summer release, May appears to be the only available option. It remains to be seen how the final release plan will take shape.
But delaying the release date announcement for too long could be risky. If another pan-India film announces a May release before them, they could lose their summer window entirely. Most likely, Allu Arjun’s team will announce the release date soon to secure the slot.
Vijay’s last film, Jana Nayagan, was scheduled to be released on January 9th, but it ran into many issues and problems with the censor board. Even though the film’s makers approached the courts for help, the theatrical release is still uncertain.
In his recent interview, Vijay was asked about this delay, and the actor and politician said that he already knew Jana Nayagan might face issues before its release.
Vjjay finally reacts on his film, Jana Nayagan facing issues
When asked, “Your film Jana Nayagan is stuck. Has politics affected your cinema career?” Vijay replied that he feels sorry for his producer because the film is facing problems due to his entry into politics. He also said that he expected his films to be affected by his political involvement and was mentally prepared for it.
The film’s makers are now working to resolve the issues with the censor board and hope to release Jana Nayagan sometime between mid-February and the end of February.
Vijay started his own political party called Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) on 2 February 2024.
Movie: Vaa Vaathiyaar Rating: 2.25/5 Cast: Karthi, Raj Kiran, Krithi Shetty, Sathyaraj, and others Director: Nalan Kumarasamy Streaming On:Prime Video
Vaa Vaathiyaar is an action-comedy film directed by Nalan Kumaraswamy, starring Karthi as the lead. Produced by Studio Green, the film faced many obstacles before it finally hit theaters this Pongal. But the film failed to impress audiences and ended up as a big failure. Now the film has arrived on OTT, and let’s find out what’s good in it and what went missing in it.
Story:
The story of Vaa Vaathiyaar follows Ramu (Karthi), who is raised by his grandfather (Rajkiran). His grandfather is a devoted fan of MGR and believes that his grandson is the reincarnation of the legendary leader and actor Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran, fondly called Vaathiyaar.
After a small incident during his childhood, Ramu moves away from his grandfather’s idealistic beliefs. He learns to survive in society in his own way and grows up to become a corrupt police officer. He hides his true nature from his grandfather. The rest of the story focuses on how long he can keep this secret and the unexpected turn his life takes.
Performances:
Karthi gives a believable performance and carries the film on his shoulders. But his effort would have made a stronger impact if the writing had been clearer. Krithi Shetty’s character and scenes add little value to the story, even though her introduction creates some expectations. Sathyaraj is wasted in an ordinary role, while Rajkiran delivers a natural performance and brings some emotional depth to the film.
Analysis:
Vaa Vaathiyaar is directed by Nalan Kumarasamy, who attempts to present a commercial action entertainer with a quirky and stylish approach. The idea of MGR returning nearly 40 years after his death and possessing a police officer to fight injustice is interesting.
But this unusual concept needed a strong screenplay to work well, and Nalan fails to impress except in a few moments. The references and tributes to the legendary actor and political leader MGR work only to an extent. The biggest disappointment is how weakly his fight against corrupt politicians is portrayed.
The action and elevation scenes fail to create any impact. The cat-and-mouse game between the villains and Vaathiyaar never rises to the occasion and often feels dull and silly. The opening scenes, a few light-hearted moments involving Karthi, and the idea of a group of youngsters fighting corruption through a social media page are some of the film’s better moments.
After setting up an interesting premise, Vaa Vaathiyaar loses its emotional grip and moves forward randomly. The climax is also disappointing, as it lacks both a powerful victory and a meaningful transformation for the lead character.
Positives:
Karthi and Raj Kiran’s Performance
Few Fun Moments
Some Scenes Involving MGR/Vaathiyaar Character
Negatives:
Uneven Narration
Weak Villains
Zero Emotional Impact
Underdeveloped Hero vs. Villain Conflict
Vaa Vaathiyaar Review and Verdict:
Vaa Vaathiyaar is an honest attempt by Nalan Kumarasamy and Karthi to pay tribute to MGR. Unfortunately, it fails to fully use its potential and ends up being neither a strong commercial entertainer nor an ambitious film.
Sharwanand’s romantic comedy Nari Nari Naduma Murari released in theaters this Sankranthi and received unanimously positive reviews. While the film is still running in theaters, it shocks everyone with the official announcement of OTT streaming.
Directed by Ram Abbaraju, who made his debut with a blockbuster like Samajavaragamana, the film was released on January 15th, with premieres on the 14th night, and turned out to be a box office success. The film had considerable footfalls over the last weekend as well.
Nari Nari Naduma Murari to stream on OTT within three weeks of its theatrical release
The major streaming platform, Prime Video, officially announced that Sharwanand’s Nari Nari Naduma Murari comedy will arrive on OTT on February 4. Viewers can watch it in Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, and Malayalam too, starting from that date!
But the surprising thing is that the OTT release window is only three weeks (19 days to be precise). If a film fails to do well in theaters, it is understandable if the makers choose a shorter window, but it is a bit surprising for a successful film to reach digital platforms in under four weeks.
