High-budget Tollywood movies:
Post-COVID, the Tollywood film industry has witnessed several high-budget films. But only 4 of them have achieved breakeven status in Andhra Pradesh’s seven territories. Notably, films with a theatrical business of at least ₹70 crore in the Telugu states or ₹90 crore worldwide are considered significant releases. Let’s see which are those 4 films.
Waltair Veerayya: Released in early 2023, this film starred Megastar Chiranjeevi and quickly became a massive hit. With a break-even target of ₹89 crore, the film surpassed expectations grossing approximately ₹250 crore at the box office.
Pushpa: The Rise: Starring Allu Arjun, this film set post-pandemic records upon its release. On its opening day, it grossed around ₹74 crore worldwide. Despite challenges like lower ticket prices in Andhra Pradesh, the film managed to gross between ₹360–373 crore globally, marking it as one of the highest-grossing Telugu films.
RRR: Directed by SS Rajamouli, this magnum opus featured Ram Charan and Jr. NTR. While specific figures for Andhra Pradesh’s seven territories are not detailed in the provided sources, the film’s worldwide success suggests it achieved significant milestones domestically.
Devara: Released in 2024, ‘Devara: Part 1’ reported worldwide grosses varying between ₹380 crore and ₹521 crore. While specific break-even details for Andhra Pradesh are not provided, the substantial global earnings indicate a strong performance.
It’s essential to note that the Andhra Pradesh government’s regulation of ticket prices during Jagan time posed challenges for filmmakers. For instance, ‘Pushpa: The Rise’ faced difficulties breaking even in its home state due to these regulations. The government’s cap on ticket prices especially in rural areas significantly impacted revenue making it challenging for high-budget films to recoup investments solely from theatrical releases in the state.
