The Independence Day weekend saw a variety of film releases, but none of them fully capitalized on the long holiday period. Among the notable films were Double iSmart, Mr. Bachchan and Thangalaan. These movies entered the market with high expectations but delivered varied results. The weekend was marked by the surprising success of a small film, Aay, starring Narni Nithin while the bigger films struggled to meet the expectations set by their pre-release hype.
Mr. Bachchan, starring Ravi Teja was one of the highly anticipated movies of the weekend. However, it failed to live up to the expectations. In the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana regions, the movie earned a total of ₹6.51 crore in its first four days with a gross of ₹10.15 crore. Worldwide, Mr. Bachchan managed to collect a total share of ₹7.46 crore, grossing ₹12.05 crore. Despite its strong start, earning ₹4.56 crore on its first day, the movie saw a significant drop in collections over the next few days ultimately leading to its underwhelming performance at the box office.
On the other hand, Double iSmart featuring Ram Pothineni, also struggled to make a strong impact. The movie earned ₹8.91 crore in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana over the first four days, with a gross of ₹13.40 crore. Worldwide, the movie collected a total share of ₹10.52 crore, grossing ₹16.90 crore. Despite its higher collections compared to Mr. Bachchan, Double iSmart failed to live up to the pre-release expectations and did not perform as well as anticipated, especially considering the popularity of its lead actor.
Thangalaan, which performed well in Tamil Nadu, was a disappointment in the Telugu states. The movie earned ₹3.20 crore in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana over the first four days, with a gross of ₹6.10 crore. Worldwide, the film grossed ₹48.40 crore, with a share of ₹12.85 crore. While Thangalaan did well in its home state of Tamil Nadu, where it grossed ₹26.25 crore, it failed to resonate with the Telugu audience, contributing to its overall mixed performance.
Interestingly, Aay, a small film starring Narni Nithin, emerged as a surprise success over the weekend. While the bigger films struggled, Aay managed to capture the audience’s attention, indicating that content, rather than star power, may be the key to box office success.
Overall, the Independence Day weekend was a mixed bag for the film industry. While there were high expectations for big releases like Double iSmart, Mr. Bachchan, and Thangalaan, the actual results were disappointing. Smaller films like Aay were able to capitalize on the holiday, proving that audiences are increasingly looking for fresh and engaging content, rather than just big names and high budgets.
