Bad Humiliation: Not Even 100 Crore For Pawan Kalyan?
Online ticket bookings told a similar story. The response was thin, and footfalls at theatres never quite picked up the way they usually do for a Pawan Kalyan film. It is a result that has surprised many in the industry.
By: Tupaki Desk | 31 March 2026 2:34 PM IST
It has become extremely common for Telugu heroes to reach the hundred crore mark at the global box office, and even small skill heroes have been able to achieve this feet in the recent past. But in what could be considered an extremely shocking incident, Pawan Kalyan has failed to deliver this.
Pawan Kalyan’s latest film Ustaad Bhagat Singh has failed to make the kind of box office impact that fans and makers were hoping for. Despite the star power attached to it, the film could not cross the Rs 100 crore mark, a number that is considered the bare minimum for a big hero release these days.
Online ticket bookings told a similar story. The response was thin, and footfalls at theatres never quite picked up the way they usually do for a Pawan Kalyan film. It is a result that has surprised many in the industry.
This is not the first time Telugu cinema has seen something like this recently. Films featuring top names like NTR, Prabhas, and Ram Charan have also struggled when the content did not connect but none got humiliated like Ustaad which failed to touch even Rs 100 crore.
The audience has made one thing clear, a big name on the poster is no longer enough.
What viewers want now is something fresh. The same old mass formula films, routine action, and predictable plots are simply not working anymore. Telugu audiences have moved on, and the industry needs to catch up.
For directors and producers, the message is hard to ignore. Good stories matter more than ever. No star can carry a weak script across the finish line.