There was a time when Balakrishna’s films, even with mixed or poor reviews, would manage around Rs 20 crores at the box office. In the case of positive word-of-mouth, his films could rake in Rs 40-50 crores. However, this is now a thing of the past, as Balayya’s market has witnessed an impressive surge in recent times.
With Akhanda, Balakrishna embarked on a new phase of his career. Following Akhanda, his films Veera Simha Reddy, Bhagavanth Kesari, and Daaku Maharaaj have all been box-office successes, grossing over 70 Cr shares and 100 Cr globally. However, they narrowly missed the 100 Cr share mark for various reasons.
- Akhanda: The film faced challenges with lower ticket prices domestically and the overseas Corona scare, which hindered its box-office potential. Had it released with the current ticket prices, Akhanda would have easily surpassed the 100 Cr share mark. Despite this, the Boyapati film managed to pull large crowds from all sections of the audience.
- Veera Simha Reddy: Released with high expectations, this Gopichand Malineni-directed film catered mainly to mass audiences, leaving other sections dissatisfied. This lack of appeal to a broader audience prevented it from joining the 100 Cr club.
- Bhagavanth Kesari: The film struggled with a lack of initial buzz, leading to an average opening. On top of that, political events such as CBN’s arrest impacted its performance. While it managed to attract a family audience, it failed to make a significant impact on the mass audience, similar to Veera Simha Reddy.
- Daaku Maharaaj: Daaku Maharaaj also faced challenges in reaching its full potential, with many family audiences opting for the festive film Sankranthiki Vasthunnam. This led to the film missing the 100 Cr milestone.
Despite these setbacks, Balakrishna’s market has expanded significantly, and his recent films have enjoyed solid box-office success. However, the coveted 100 Cr share club remains elusive. With his upcoming Akhanda 2—a sequel to the successful Akhanda—expectations are high. As the film marks the return of the Balayya-Boyapati combo, Akhanda 2 is seen as the best chance for Balakrishna to finally cross the 100 Cr share mark, a feat that Akhanda was prevented from achieving due to ticket pricing issues and the pandemic.
