Southern Storm: Top stars woo back fans to theatres in Sankranth week

MUMBAI: While Bollywood is still wary about releasing biggies in the theatres, top stars in South India have seized the ongoing festive weekend to release a few much-hyped films in the key markets of Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. Initial response says the response at the box office has been fantastic.

Led by the Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi-starrer Master, and the Ravi Teja release Krack, this weeks releases in the southern cinema halls also includes the Bellamkonda Sreenivas and Nabha Natesh-starrer Alludu Adhurs, and the Ram Pothineni release Red.

Master, easily the most anticipated of the four films, had an opening day collection of Rs 26 crore only in Tamil Nadu, while the pan-India figure, including dubbed prints, stood at Rs 41 crore.

Followed by Master is Krack, which released on January 9. The gross four-day total across the Telugu states is Rs 27.50 crore.

The other two festive releases, Alludu Adhurs and Red, also opened well on Thursday, though first-day figures are yet to come in.

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Talking about how the major south film markets have opened up and the buffs have come pouring, trade analyst Atul Mohan says: "The biggest factor is stardom. The kind of stardom actors enjoy in the southern film market is unparalleled. That is why they don't encourage piracy. Compared to other territories, they are small but the stardom is huge. It is because of this, the madness and craving is different. This kind of excitement overpowers everything else, even the pandemic."

"Krack has worked best in the Telugu market," says trade analyst Shreedhar Pillai adding: "It proves beyond doubt that theatres have their own audience, all the more in South India. But it would be great if Bollywood also comes back to theatres. I mean Sooryavanshi and 83. Unless Hindi cinema returns to theatres, the hope for the Indian entertainment industry is less because Hindi films also have a strong market in the south."

IANS takes a look at the four major Sankranth releases:

Master
The Tamil film starring Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi revolves around a college professor who goes to a correctional facility and takes on the villian for exploiting the young minds there.

Krack
The Telugu film starring Ravi Teja and Shuti Haasan revolves around a cop, who has a reputation of having a temper.

Alludu Adhurs
The Telugu film starring Bellamkonda Sreenivas and Nabha Natesh is about the hero swearing to stay away from love until he meets the woman of his dreams.

Red
A Ram Pothineni-starrer Telugu film, it is about doppelgangers, a murder and the thrill to find the truth.

-- IANS

ALSO READ - (Prabas-starrer 'Salaar' to have Mahurat on Jan 15 in Hyderabad)