Energetic star Ram Pothineni and dashing director Puri Jagannadh are collaborating once again on their second film, ‘Double Ismart,’ which is a sequel to the blockbuster ‘Ismart Shankar.’ The global release is scheduled for August 15, as announced by the filmmakers. This film has become especially crucial for both Puri and Ram, given their recent difficulties in achieving a hit. Recently released promotional materials have significantly raised expectations. However, ‘Double Ismart’ is now encountering unexpected challenges due to the financial difficulties stemming from Puri’s previous film, ‘Liger,’ which are now affecting Ram’s project.
What Happened?
Losses from ‘Liger’ have become a significant headache for ‘Double Ismart.’ The film ‘Liger,’ a high-budget venture by Vijay Deverakonda and Puri Jagannadh, ended up a disaster, incurring substantial losses for producers, exhibitors, and distributors. There’s rising discontent among distributors about Puri moving on to release another film without settling ‘Liger’s’ debts. It’s rumored that until ‘Liger’s’ losses are settled, distributors have decided not to screen ‘Double Ismart.’ A significant meeting among distributors was held at a major distributor’s office to discuss compensation for ‘Liger’s’ losses, fueling concerns about potential delays for ‘Double Ismart.’
Controversy Over a Song!
Recently, the film team released the second lyrical song from ‘Double Ismart’ titled ‘Maar Muntha Chod Chintha’ on YouTube. However, the inclusion of a voice clip of KCR, the former Chief Minister of Telangana, in the song has sparked controversy. The use of his voice, especially the viral phrase “Em Jeddamantav Mari,” directly in the song has angered KCR’s supporters and Telangana activists. They criticized the song for portraying Telangana culture negatively and warned that they would block the film’s release if the dialogue was not removed. The film team needs to respond to these allegations.
Three Films Competing
In addition to ‘Double Ismart,’ set for release on August 15, the makers had initially chosen this date anticipating no major competition due to a delay in ‘Pushpa 2,’ which was moved to December 6. However, this satisfaction was short-lived as Ravi Teja’s ‘Mr. Bachchan’ and Kollywood star Vikram’s ‘Thangalaan’ are also scheduled for release on the same day. Along with these, another movie ‘Ai’ is also entering the fray, setting up a box office clash for ‘Double Ismart.’