Venkatesh’s ‘Sankranthiki Vasthunam’ Powers Indian Box Office to $116 Million in January – Global Bulletin

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FESTIVAL FORTUNES

2025 at India’s box office started off strong, propelled by a surge of Telugu-language films during the Sankranthi holiday which pushed local earnings beyond INR10,130 million ($116.6 million). The top earner was “Sankranthiki Vasthunam,” featuring Venkatesh, a versatile box office hit that dominated the monthly charts with an impressive $23 million in earnings.

According to me, as a strong advocate for the film industry, it was the Telugu films “Sankranthiki Vasthunam,” “Game Changer,” and “Daaku Maharaaj” that significantly boosted the local Indian gross in January, excluding overseas earnings. These three blockbusters together accumulated an impressive $55 million, which represents a whopping 44% of the total box office share for the month, underscoring the immense impact Telugu cinema had during this period.

The movie “Sankranthiki Vasthunam” clearly demonstrates the unwavering dominance of Telugu cinema during Sankranthi, a period known for its blockbuster hits. This film, challenging traditional genre norms, struck a chord with viewers, showing that festive seasons continue to be fertile ground for Telugu box office giants. Typically, Tamil films also gain momentum during this time, with the Pongal festival coinciding with Sankranthi. However, in this year, the only Tamil hit was “Madha Gaja Raja,” which amassed a commendable $5.7 million. In simpler terms, the movie “Sankranthiki Vasthunam” emphasizes that Telugu films continue to reign during Sankranthi, a season for big hits. Tamil films also usually perform well around this time, but this year saw only one success story in “Madha Gaja Raja.

In the first month of 2025, the Hindi-language Bollywood experienced a sluggish beginning, with only “Sky Force” earning $11.5 million to become the hit of January. This limited success kept the industry’s overall share below 30%. Tamil films and Malayalam productions accounted for 12% and 9% of the month’s earnings, respectively.

MODERN MAYHEM

In a recent development, India’s Jio Studios, Merry Go Round Studios, and Mumbai Talkeez have revealed the trailer for their forthcoming family comedy titled “Kaushaljis vs Kaushal,” directed by Seemaa Desai.

The movie focuses on Yug Kaushal, who is 27 years old and decides to leave behind his simple life in Kannauj for the bustling cityscape of Delhi. When Yug’s candid comments about his parents’ traditional way of living lead them to contemplate a mutual separation as they embrace modernity, he finds himself facing the unforeseen repercussions of his words.

This project titled “Urban Family Comedy” is created by Jyoti Deshpande, Umesh Shukhla, Ashish Wagh, and Parag Desai. It delves into the topics of urbanization and transforming family relationships using humor as its perspective. The show will be available for streaming on JioHotstar, a collaboration between JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar, starting from February 21st.

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2025-02-19 12:16