The centerpiece of the entire festive season was the legendary rivalry between Megastar Chiranjeevi and Natasimham Nandamuri Balakrishna. Both senior actors targeted the exact same weekend with hardcore mass-masala entertainers, both backed by the prominent production house . 1. Waltair Veerayya (Released: January 13, 2023) Director: K.S. Ravindra (Bobby)
Directed by Gopichand Malineni; focused on heavy mass action. Waltair Veerayya Chiranjeevi, Ravi Teja, Shruti Haasan Jan 13, 2023
The film opened to positive reviews from critics, particularly appealing to the mass audience. It recorded the biggest single-day collections domestically among all Sankranthi releases on its opening day. Although it faced stiff competition, the film performed well, grossing an estimated ₹134 crore worldwide, making it the highest-grosser of Balakrishna’s career at the time. It was officially declared a superhit .
Amidst the clash of multi-million dollar star vehicles, a small-budget alternative attempted to target viewers looking for lighthearted content. Sankranthi Release Telugu Movies 2023
The season was a masterclass in "fan-service" cinema. The core narrative centered on the in Waltair Veerayya , featuring his iconic comedy timing and lungi-clad mass appeal. Simultaneously, Balakrishna’s Veera Simha Reddy doubled down on the factionalism-based heroism that has defined his career, complete with powerful dialogues and high-stakes action.
, both of whom released mass entertainers backed by the same production house, Mythri Movie Makers. Telugu films in Sankranti 2023 race - The South First
The Sankranthi 2023 season in Tollywood was a massive box office battleground, featuring legendary superstars and highly anticipated releases. Here is the draft content covering the major theatrical and digital releases of that period. Theatrical Heavyweights The centerpiece of the entire festive season was
Kicking off the Sankranthi releases was the Telugu-dubbed version of the Tamil film Thunivu , starring Ajith Kumar. Directed by H. Vinoth, Tegimpu is a bank heist thriller that was the first big film to be released during the season.
Even with multiple releases, the sheer volume of viewers ensures that all major films can succeed simultaneously.
(Jan 14): A small-budget family entertainer starring Santosh Sobhan. It was largely overshadowed by the massive star-vehicle films playing in adjacent theaters. 💡 Box Office Verdict Worldwide Gross Waltair Veerayya Chiranjeevi Blockbuster ₹236 Cr+ Veera Simha Reddy N. Balakrishna ₹134 Cr+ ₹300 Cr (Overall) Waltair Veerayya (Released: January 13, 2023) Director: K
This year, several Telugu movies are lined up for release during the Sankranthi period. Here are some of the most anticipated ones:
The film failed to make an impact at the box office due to the high competition from the four biggies. It opened to dull reports and was declared a disaster .