For a few months, there has been a buzz about Pawan Kalyan and Harish Shankar’s Ustaad Bhagat Singh locking the March-end release date, but it was uncertain due to Ram Charan’s Peddi announcement of the release date in the same period.
Actually, Nani’s The Paradise was announced for a 26th March release, while Ram Charan’s Peddi was announced for a 27th March release. Both films’ shoots are still in progress, and there is a strong buzz that both have been postponed.
So, it is almost certain that Pawan Kalyan’s Ustaad Bhagat Singh release date is 26th March, and an official update will arrive very soon. This is a very good release date for the film, as it marks the start of the summer season, with several holidays in the first and second weekends.
Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu started its second weekend on a good note, as the film is seeing a good jump in bookings today. Till Friday, for the theatrical run of 12 days, the film’s worldwide gross is close to ₹260 Cr.
Now, the movie is all set to cross Sankranthiki Vasthunam (₹265 Cr) and Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (₹268 Cr) by tomorrow to become the biggest Sankranthi grosser in Telugu.
Across all versions, Hanuman is currently the biggest Sankranthi grosser with ₹295 Cr worldwide. To beat that record, the film needs a much bigger jump in collections from today to Monday.
So far, no Sankranthi release or regional film has collected ₹300 Cr gross worldwide. Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu could become the first one if it achieves this milestone if it gets the required big jump for the second weekend.
With heavy expectations, The Raja Saab was released on 9th January, and the film opened well with ₹100 Cr worldwide, but the closing collections are not at the expected range. Due to bad reviews and negative word of mouth, the movie dropped badly after the first weekend.
Now the film is almost at the end of its box office run. The worldwide closing collections of The Raja Saab will be around ₹200 Cr only for all languages. The Telugu version collected close to ₹170 Cr, while other language versions are completely disastrous.
The worldwide breakeven target was ₹400 Cr+, so the film faced more than 50% losses worldwide. Overall, The Raja Saab is a huge box office failure, giving Radhe Shyam–kind of results for Prabhas.
Starring Sobitha Dhulipala in the lead, “Cheekatilo” is a crime thriller also featuring Vishwadev Rachakonda, Chaitanya Krishna, and others, directed by Sharan Koppishetty. The film was released directly on Prime Video. Let us check how this crime thriller has been shaped up in the following review.
Story:
Shocked by the murder of her close friend, Sandhya Nelluri (played by Sobhita Dhulipala), a crime reporter who has recently quit her job, decides to start a podcast to investigate the case. Her search for the truth soon pulls her into a much darker and dangerous journey, as the murder is linked to several similar crimes from previous years.
Performances:
Sobhita Dhulipala delivers a strong and convincing performance as Sandhya. Viswadev Rachakonda appears natural in his role, while Aamani and Jhansi leave a good impression. Chaitanya Krishna and Esha Chawla are decent, though their characters could have been more impactful with better writing. Vadlamani Srinivas, Ravindra Vijay, Suresh, and others play their parts adequately.
Analysis:
Cheekatilo (In the Darkness), a Telugu Prime Video original directed by Sharan Kopishetty, has all the right ingredients for an engaging crime thriller. Along with the murder mystery, the film also presents a social message about the abuse and violations women face in their everyday lives.
The film effectively explores the emotional trauma women carry for a lifetime, and some scenes dealing with this theme are meaningful and emotionally powerful. But the movie struggles in handling the crime and investigation aspects.
While the initial phone call from the killer creates intrigue, the investigation that follows feels routine and lacks intensity. There is little suspense around potential victims, and the threat posed to the lead character is not explored strongly.
The climax offers a solid backstory for the villain, but the reason given for restarting the killing spree is confusing. The way the final punishment is handled also feels underwhelming.
Positives:
Story
Sobitha Dhulipala’s Performance
Emotional Dialogues/Moments
Negatives:
Investigation Scenes Miss the Mark
Lack of the Thrill or Excitement Factor
Climax Falls Short of Intent
Cheekatilo Review and Verdict:
Cheekatilo benefits from a compelling premise, Sobhita Dhulipala’s sincere performance, and a few well-written scenes. Unfortunately, it fails to reach its full potential due to weak execution of the thriller elements, a routine investigation, and an unconvincing climax.
Telugu audiences were eagerly waiting to stream Roshan Meka’s Champion this weekend, but the film’s OTT release has been postponed. According to an official update from Netflix, the movie will now start streaming next week.
Since many Telugu films follow a four-week theatrical window before their OTT release, viewers expected Champion to premiere online on January 23. But when the film did not appear on the platform, fans were disappointed by the unexpected delay.
Netflix has acquired the digital streaming rights for Champion in all languages. The streaming giant has now confirmed that the film will be available on its platform from Thursday, January 29, in all languages.
Champion Plot Details
Released on December 25, 2025, Champion is a Telugu period sports drama directed by Pradeep Advaitham. The film follows Michael (Roshan Meka), a talented footballer from pre-independence Secunderabad who dreams of playing in London. His life takes a turn when he gets caught in the fight against Razakar oppression in a village, forcing him to choose between pursuing his dream and standing up for the people. The film also stars Anaswara Rajan in the female lead role.
Movie Name:Border 2 Rating: 3/5 Cast: Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh, Ahan Shetty, Mona Singh, Sonam Bajwa, Anya Singh, Medha Rana and Others Director: Anurag Singh Produced By: Nidhi Dutta, J. P. Dutta, Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar Release Date: 23rd January 2026
Set against the backdrop of the India–Pakistan war of 1971, Border 2, is a sequel to J.P. Dutta’s 1997 blockbuster ‘Border’. The film has good craze as it is a sequel and let us dive into the following review to know how it has been made.
Story:
Border 2 is set during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war and showcases intense battles such as Longewala and Basantar, highlighting the bravery and strategic skills of Indian soldiers.
Performances:
Sunny Deol has the most prominent role in the film. As expected, his screen presence is powerful, and he delivers the required intensity with a strong performance. Varun Dhawan plays a restrained character and gives a sincere performance, especially shining in emotional scenes.
Diljit Dosanjh leaves a good impression, while Ahan Shetty delivers a decent performance. Mona Singh, Medha Rana, Sonam Bajwa, and Anya Singh perform well, with Mona Singh standing out the most.
Analysis:
Border 2 faces the challenge of matching the legacy of J.P. Dutta’s iconic 1997 film Border, which defined patriotic war cinema for many viewers.
Director Anurag Singh largely meets expectations by telling the story through the lead characters: Hoshiyar Singh (Varun Dhawan) from the Indian Army, Nirmaljit Singh (Diljit Dosanjh), an Air Force pilot, Mahendra Rawat (Ahan Shetty) representing the Navy, and their mentor Fateh Singh (Sunny Deol), a legendary border commander.
The film effectively brings out emotions of brotherhood, duty, and sacrifice. The flashback sequences showing the bond between soldiers work well. The punch dialogues during war scenes, the confrontations between Indian and Pakistani soldiers, and the emotional struggles of soldiers’ families are portrayed effectively.
However, the film has a few drawbacks. Some war sequences in the second half feel stretched, and there is a familiar and predictable pattern of the genre, which might underwhelm the impact for a while.
Positives:
Performances
Engaging Screenplay (For Most of the Part)
Emotional Scenes/Dialogues
A Few Stunning War Moments in the Second Half
Negatives:
Generic Traits
A Few Overboard/Loud Dialogues and Scenes
VFX Could Have Been Better
Border 2 Review and Verdict:
Border 2 is an emotionally engaging patriotic drama with natural performances, strong emotional moments, and suitable music. Despite a few dragged scenes and some underwhelming technical aspects, the film remains an engaging watch.
Exaggerating box office numbers is nothing new in the film industry, as producers often do it for publicity. Anaganaga Oka Raju, which was released during Sankranthi, has emerged as a big success, and now the film faces a challenge of reaching the ₹100 Cr mark.
All buyers are reportedly in the profit zone, and the film became the second most preferred Sankranthi release among audiences, after Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu.
Anaganaga Oka Raju has a big target to get this weekend
The makers recently announced that the film had collected over ₹100 crore gross within just five days. But according to tracking sources like Tollywood box office portals, the film has not reached that milestone yet. As per current estimates, the worldwide gross stands at around ₹70 crore.
To touch the ₹100 crore mark, Anaganaga Oka Raju needs to collect at least ₹20 crore or more during the upcoming weekend, from Saturday to Monday. It remains to be seen whether the movie can achieve those numbers in the coming days.
The Sankranthi 2026 has seen several films getting released, but Chiranjeevi and Anil Ravipudi’s Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu emerged as the winner among all of them. The film now enters the second weekend, which is crucial for its target of 300 Cr gross.
Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu is the Sankranti winner this year. The film collected the biggest numbers for Chiranjeevi and dominated other films in a big way as the No. 1 choice for audiences. After a rampage festival week, the film maintained strong momentum on Monday and Tuesday as well.
Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu aims for a total of 300 Cr
So, with that, everyone thought the 300 Cr milestone was very easy. But the film sees a drop in the collections from Wednesday. Including today’s numbers, the film’s gross collections will be around 255 Cr, and it needs to aim for bigger collections from tomorrow to Monday (Republic Holiday) to reach the milestone.
As there are no notable films releasing, and having the long weekend with the Republic Day holiday advantage provides more chances for the film to see a big jump in collection and to achieve the intended milestone at the box office.
Anil Ravipudi is currently one of the most popular and in-demand directors in the Telugu film industry. Almost every star’s fan hopes to see their favorite actor collaborate with him. Recently, there was a small buzz about a possible film between Anil Ravipudi and Pawan Kalyan, and the director has now given clarity on the matter.
With Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu, Anil Ravipudi presented Megastar Chiranjeevi in a highly entertaining and refreshing way. The film received a strong response, with audiences enjoying Chiranjeevi’s performance, his comic timing, and his classic mannerisms.
Following this success, some Mega fans expressed their desire to see Anil Ravipudi work with Pawan Kalyan, believing that such a combination could bring back Pawan’s entertaining side on screen. There were also reports that Pawan Kalyan had committed to a film with producer Dil Raju, and that Anil Ravipudi was asked to work on the script.
However, Anil Ravipudi has now clarified that there is no such project in progress, and he stated that, as of now, there are no discussions or plans for a film with Pawan Kalyan.
Anil Ravipudi said:
“I have not met Pawan Kalyan garu personally yet, but I am very eager to work with him. He is extremely busy as the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. At present, he is not a star who regularly does films, as he has many responsibilities. If our combination happens in the future, I will be very happy. Let’s see what happens. For now, there is no such plan or idea.”
The fourth week of January 2026 is shaping up to be an exciting one for movie lovers with exciting OTT releases. While several new films are hitting theaters this week, such as Border 2, the OTT platforms are also bringing a strong lineup of fresh content.
One of the most awaited OTT releases this week is Tere Ishk Mein, starring Kriti Sanon and Dhanush. Directed by Aanand L. Rai, the film was released in theaters in November last year and received a fair response. The romantic drama is now set for its digital premiere on Netflix from January 23, 2026.
The Kannada action film Mark is another notable release heading to OTT this week. After its theatrical release on December 25, 2025, the film is now ready for its digital debut. Mark, led by Kichcha Sudeep, will begin streaming on Jio Hotstar from January 23, 2026. The cast also includes Shine Tom Chacko, Naveen Chandra, Vikrant, and Yogi Babu.
Adding to the list is the Tamil courtroom crime drama Sirai, which will premiere on Zee5 on January 23. The film focuses on intense legal battles and has generated curiosity among fans of the genre.
Apart from these, several titles are already available or releasing tonight on OTT platforms. The Telugu action thriller Shambhala is currently streaming on Aha. Champion, starring Roshann Meka, will start streaming on Netflix tonight. Sobitha Dhulipala’s web series Cheekatilo will premiere on Prime Video, while the Kannada film 45, featuring Upendra and Shivarajkumar, will be available on Zee5.
With such a wide range of content across languages and genres, OTT viewers have plenty of choices in the fourth week of January 2026.
Movies and Series Streaming This Week – Platform List
45 (Kannada) – Zee5 (Streaming Tonight)
Tere Ishq Mein – Netflix (From January 23, 2026)
Mark (Kannada) – Jio Hotstar (From January 23, 2026)
Sirai (Tamil) – Zee5 (From January 23, 2026)
Shambhala (Telugu) – Aha (Now Streaming)
Champion – Netflix (Streaming Tonight)
Cheekatilo (Web Series) – Prime Video (Streaming Tonight)
