90 Releases, 9 Hits: Tollywood Faces Harsh Reality in 2025

The first six months of 2025 have been disappointing for the Telugu film industry. Many big movies released this year, but only a few managed to become hits. Producers are worried as most films failed to attract audiences to theatres.

At the start of the year, Sankranti brought some hope. Venkatesh's film Sankranthiki Vasthunam shocked everyone by collecting over ₹300 crores setting new records. Balakrishna's Daaku Maharaj also entered the ₹100 crore club. But Ram Charan's Game Changer which had huge expectations, failed badly even though the team posted fake numbers of ₹186 crores on the first day.

In February, only Thandel starring Naga Chaitanya became successful. It impressed audiences and critics crossing ₹100 crores. Other films like Laila and Majaka disappointed fans.

March was no better. Nearly 29 films were released, but only two, Court and Mad Square, were somewhat successful. Big films like Nithiin's Robinhood failed at the box office.

April was a total disaster with around 25 films released, but none became hits. Even movies like Odele 2 and Arjun S/O Vyjayanthi flopped despite heavy promotions.

In May, Nani's Hit 3 opened well, with the team claiming ₹100 crores, but the final numbers were average. Films like #Single and Shubham had mixed responses, while others like Bhairavam and Sashtipoorthi failed.

Summer, which is usually a strong season for Tollywood, ended without any big blockbusters. Films from top stars like Chiranjeevi, Prabhas, Pawan Kalyan, and Vijay Deverakonda were delayed leaving theatres empty.

June saw some improvement. Kubera, starring Nagarjuna and Dhanush, collected over ₹120 crores, with most of the earnings coming from Telugu states. Manchu Vishnu's Kannappa also had a strong opening, thanks to good promotions and Prabhas' cameo.

Overall, out of nearly 90 films released in six months, only 9 became hits. Many producers faked collections to show success, but the reality was different.

Fans now have high hopes for the second half of 2025, with big films lined up for Dasara and Christmas seasons.