Love Me lands Dil Raju in a lurch

Industry sources suggest that ace producer Dil Raju may face financial losses with the underwhelming performance of his nephew, Ashish Reddy's film "Love Me". The romantic comedy, featuring ghosts and set against a backdrop of love, failed to ignite the box office, leading to an estimated loss of over ₹4 crore for Dil Raju.

The film, produced by Dil Raju's daughter Hanshitha Reddy, was released on May 25th after a delay, but audiences failed to embrace the unique concept. "Many shows were canceled, and the film didn't have advance bookings," an industry source reported.

Despite the 10-day shutdown of theaters in Telangana, some exhibitors reportedly opened approximately 60 theaters to screen "Love Me," demonstrating their support for Dil Raju, who is also a distributor and a major supplier of films for their theaters.

Dil Raju, who has had a recent streak of underperforming films like "Family Star," was hoping to regain momentum with "Love Me." However, the film's disappointing performance marks a setback for the renowned producer.

The film, which featured Vaishnavi Chaitanya of "Baby" fame as Ashish Reddy's love interest, was hailed as a daring romantic comedy. Despite the unique concept and the backing of Dil Raju, "Love Me" has failed to meet expectations. This setback underscores the unpredictable nature of the film industry and the constant pressure to deliver commercially successful projects.