Box office: 'Gangs of Godavari' mints ₹4.5cr on Day 1
The Telugu film Gangs of Godavari, featuring Vishwak Sen, Neha Shetty, and Anjali, kicked off its box office journey with a bang on Friday. Per Sacnilk, the action-packed drama pulled in a solid estimated ₹4.5cr (nett) across India on its opening day. Written and directed by Krishna Chaitanya and backed by producer Naga Vamsi, the film witnessed a strong 38.12% occupancy in the Telugu market.
Sen's new avatar in 'Gangs of Godavari'
In Gangs of Godavari, Sen portrays Lankala Rathna, a tribal community member who evolves from a thief to a powerful gangster and politician. Speaking to The Times of India, Sen previously expressed his enthusiasm for the project, labeling this portrayal as "the best role I've played in my career." To perfect his character's West Godavari accent, Sen underwent dialect training, deviating from his usual Telangana accent.
'Gangs of Godavari' review highlights
Critics noted that Gangs of Godavari, with its brisk pacing spanning two hours and 26 minutes, successfully captivated viewers' attention. However, they observed that the narrative's rapid tempo didn't afford ample opportunity for audiences to deeply empathize with Rathna's journey into downfall. Additionally, critics pointed out that Rathna's confidante Rathnamala (Anjali) and his wife Bujji (Shetty) are his grounding forces, yet they find him enigmatic.
When Anjali made headlines due to controversial incident
Meanwhile, Anjali recently made headlines when veteran Telugu actor, producer, and politician Nandamuri Balakrishna was captured on video pushing the actor on stage during the pre-release event of Gangs of Godavari. The incident occurred after Balakrishna asked Anjali to move, and she didn't comply quickly enough for his liking. While Anjali appeared to brush off the incident casually, her co-star Shetty seemed visibly shocked. Social media erupted with outrage over Balakrishna's actions, soon after the video went viral.
