Oh Sukumari, Vadala, Mr. Middle Class Struggle as Akhil Akkineni’s Lenin Leads Box Office

This Friday saw the arrival of several Telugu films, including Thiruveer and Aishwarya Rajesh’s Oh Sukumari, Jagapathi Babu’s Vadala, and Srikanth’s Mr. Middle Class, all hoping to make a mark at the box office. Despite the presence of these well-known actors, the new releases have failed to generate any significant buzz, with audience turnout and advance bookings remaining extremely low across the Telugu states.

In terms of collections, none of the new films have managed to register notable figures in either Nizam or Andhra Pradesh territories. Theatres reported minimal footfalls, and both gross and distributor share numbers are negligible so far—well below the typical opening day expectations for films with such cast strength. Even the other releases, Raja The Raja and Naresh Agastya’s MRP, have struggled to make their presence felt, with many moviegoers unaware of their release due to lacklustre promotions.

When compared to the ongoing performance of Akhil Akkineni’s Lenin, the contrast is stark. While the new entrants are struggling to fill seats, Lenin continues to dominate the marketplace, holding on to prime screens and audience attention. This trend highlights the importance of star power and effective publicity, especially in a crowded release window. For actors like Thiruveer, Aishwarya Rajesh, Jagapathi Babu, and Srikanth—who have previously delivered respectable performances at the box office—this weekend’s results mark a disappointing deviation from their usual track record.

None of the new releases are anywhere close to breaking even, and unless there is a dramatic turnaround driven by exceptional word of mouth, the breakeven targets appear out of reach. The lack of awareness and minimal promotional efforts have severely hampered their box office prospects, leaving distributors and exhibitors with little hope for recovery.

The weekday trend is unlikely to improve, as the poor opening has set a low baseline. Even with the weekend ahead, unless audience sentiment shifts dramatically, these films are expected to wrap up with underwhelming numbers. The dominance of Lenin further limits their screen count and visibility, making a late surge improbable.

This collective underperformance signals a worrying trend for small and mid-range Telugu films: without robust marketing and star-driven appeal, even movies with familiar faces can struggle to find an audience. The industry may need to rethink its release strategies and promotional tactics to avoid similar fates in the future.