Box office: 'Hanu-Man' reigns supreme in clash with 'Guntur Kaaram'
Teja Sajja's pan-India release Hanu-Man—directed by Prasanth Varma—is continuing its box office dominance without showing any signs of slowing down. Despite facing tough competition upon its Pongal release on January 12, the superhero action film has emerged as a formidable force, amassing nearly Rs. 175cr in just 18 days. In contrast, Mahesh Babu's Guntur Kaaram, helmed by Trivikam Srinivas, is struggling to maintain even the bare minimum momentum. Here's a detailed report.
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Despite clashing with Guntur Kaaram and other films like Ayalaan, Captain Miller, and Merry Christmas, Hanu-Man emerged as the clear winner. Earlier, director Varma revealed they had considered moving their release date but were held back due to producer Anil Thadani confirming the film's Hindi release. Hanu-Man boasts a star-studded cast including Amritha Aiyer, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Vinay Rai, and Raj Deepak Shetty, while Guntur Kaaram features Prakash Raj, Ramya Krishnan, Meenakshi Chaudhary, and Sreeleela.
'Guntur Kaaram' collections dipped to a new low
Guntur Kaaram initially brought in Rs. 42cr on its opening day and reached Rs. 107.09cr by the end of its first week. However, the film's second-week collections dipped to a mere Rs. 12.95cr, reportedly. On Day 18 (Monday), Guntur Kaaram earned just Rs. 0.34cr—its lowest collection since its release—bringing the total haul to Rs. 123.19cr in India. This indicates the film might be nearing the end of its run in theaters.
'Hanu-Man' maintaining strong box office presence even in third week
Surprisingly, Hanu-Man emerged as a formidable success, crossing the Rs. 100cr mark in its first week and adding an impressive Rs. 58.65cr in the second week. On its 18th day (third Monday), the film earned Rs. 1.75cr—its lowest since its release. The total collection in India now stands at Rs. 174.45cr. On Monday, the makers announced that Hanu-Man crossed Rs. 250cr in worldwide collections.
Is there going to be a sequel to 'Hanu-Man'?
In celebration of the success of Hanu-Man, Varma announced his next project on January 22 during the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at Ayodhya's Ram Mandir. Titled Jai Hanuman, the film will reportedly serve as a follow-up to the first movie. While Hanu-Man portrayed Sajja as Hanumanthu, a youth bestowed with Lord Hanuman's powers, Jai Hanuman will focus on the deity himself, reports suggested.