Tollywood has released countless films throughout its history. Naturally, not all of these films achieve blockbuster status. Audience responses can be mixed—while some movies become hits, others do not fare as well. The films we’re going to discuss next, however, were particularly flops. Reports indicate that audiences walked out of the theaters before these movies even reached the halfway mark. Let’s take a look at these films.
Extra Ordinary Man
From the day of its release, the recent film featuring Nithiin and Sreeleela , ‘Extra Ordinary Man‘, encountered heavy criticism and trolling on social media. Critics admitted struggling to watch it even until the interval. Viewers were puzzled by the protagonist’s actions, which seemed entirely controlled by the villain. ‘Extra Ordinary Man’ quickly became one of the most trolled films in Nithiin’s career.
Shaakuntalam
‘Shaakuntalam‘, starring Samantha, arrived with high expectations, being her first venture into mythological cinema, and the promotional content had amplified these anticipations. However, the reception took a downturn after its release. Critics believed Samantha was not well-suited for the role of Shaakuntala, and pointed out issues with the dubbing. Online commenters also noted that the film was difficult to watch even through the first half.
Radhe Shyam
‘Radhe Shyam‘, featuring Prabhas and Pooja Hegde, fell short of audience expectations. Although Prabhas’s dashing vintage appearance had raised hopes, the film’s blend of astrology and romance failed to connect with viewers. Social media was a buzz with comments from fans who felt bored within the first hour and many reported leaving the theater at the interval.
World Famous Lover
The film ‘World Famous Lover‘, featuring Vijay Deverakonda with heroines Raashii Khanna, Aishwarya Rajesh, Catherine, and Izabelle, began facing trolls from its release. Critics targeted the movie for its focus solely on romance, lacking a substantial plot. Some netizens harshly commented that Vijay might be better suited for adult films. Social media posts reflected anticipation for the interval, with viewers eager to exit the theater.
Brahmotsavam
‘Brahmotsavam‘ is often cited as a significant disappointment in Mahesh Babu‘s career, leaving a lasting mark, as per his fans. Despite featuring a star-studded ensemble including Kajal Aggarwal, Samantha, and Pranitha, along with Satyaraj, Jayasudha, Revathi, Tulasi, and Rao Ramesh, the film did not engage audiences. Trolling started from the very first showing on its release day, with even Mahesh Babu’s own fans admitting they walked out halfway through the movie.
Son Of India
‘Son Of India‘, featuring the veteran actor Manchu Mohan Babu, encountered significant negativity even before its release. Notably, only two tickets were sold for the first show on opening day at one theater, an incident that quickly went viral on social media, with speculations that even those tickets might have been purchased by the Manchu family themselves. The few who did watch the film gave it negative reviews, resulting in its rapid withdrawal from theaters. It is considered the biggest disaster in Mohan Babu’s career.
Vinaya Vidheya Rama
‘Vinaya Vidheya Rama‘, a film by Ram Charan and director Boyapati Srinu, faced widespread criticism from its first showing. People took to social media to label the film as extremely poor and expressed eagerness for the interval so they could leave. Audiences found certain scenes, like Ram Charan standing on a moving train to Bihar or him beheading the villain’s henchmen and carrying their heads, hard to accept.
Liger
‘Liger‘, another disaster in Vijay Deverakonda’s career, was directed by Puri Jagannadh and released on a Pan-India scale, only to receive a flop response. Interest in the film faded within the first hour of its release, leading to a flood of posts on the internet. Critics questioned why Vijay put so much effort into a role that ultimately did not seem to fit him well.
Sakthi
When you think of disasters in Telugu cinema, ‘Sakthi‘ is often the first film that comes to mind. Its director, Meher Ramesh, is still playfully criticized by NTR fans. Viewers questioned how Tarak (NTR ) agreed to the script after just the first show. Criticisms also targeted the flashback scenes, noting that Tarak’s look was completely unsuitable. The same director’s film ‘Shadow’ with Venkatesh also ended up as a disaster. Interestingly, ‘Shakthi’ was still being mentioned during the release of Meher Ramesh’s recent film ‘Bhola Shankar’.
Saleem
‘Saleem‘, featuring Manchu Vishnu and Ileana D’Cruz, stands out as one of the notable failures in Telugu cinema. Manchu Vishnu notably slimmed down for his role in the film. Critics remarked that the movie appeared to be a jumble of four to five different film scripts combined. Comments indicated that the film turned dull before even reaching the midpoint of the first part.
