Generally stars target summer season to create a sensation on silver screen and shake the box office records. But all their plans this time went for a six due to coronavirus and the subsequent lockdown.
All the March releases like Nani-Sudheer Babu’s V, Anushka’s Nishabdham, Rana’s Aranya, Ram’s Red, Raj Tarun’s Orey Bujjiga, Pradeep-Amrita Aier’s 30 Rojullo Preminchadam Ela, Vaishnav Tej’s Uppena, Keerthy Suresh’s Miss India got postponed. Except for a few, all of them are made with a budget of Rs 30crs.
The films which targeted summer like Venkatesh’s Narappa, Pawan Kalyan’s Vakeel Saab, Naga Chaitanya’s Love Story, Ravi Teja’s Krack, Sai Tej’s Solo Bratuke So Better, Akhil’s Most Eligible Bachelor and also Uma Maheswara Ugrarupasya, Sreekaram got stalled in the shooting stage. All of them are made with a minimum budget of Rs 50crs.
Trade experts felt that these films would have done a business of over Rs 600crs in the summer season. But everything went for a six due to corona virus. With dark clouds looming large over theatres opening and releases, few are eyeing OTT release. T.Prasanna Kumar, secretary Producers Council said that every theatre is suffering Rs 3 lakhs losses per week and this is increasing in the summer. He said more than 40 films releases got stalled and compared to other sectors , film industry is suffering huge losses.
P.Rammohan Rao, producer and chairman of TSFDC said it may take a long time to attain normalcy in the industry. He said not only summer but the entire year will be lost by the industry. He said big budget films and their makers should wait till people come to theatres with out any fear.