This week, Tollywood saw the release of three key films at the box office. Vishwak Sen’s Mechanic Rocky, Satyadev’s Zebra, and Ashok Galla’s Devaki Nandana Vasudeva hit the screens on Friday, November 22. While Vishwak and Satyadev’s films managed to garner average talk, Ashok Galla’s film received outright disastrous feedback. Let’s examine how these films performed on their first day, their collections, and whether they faced significant setbacks or achieved reasonable numbers.
Mechanic Rocky’s Collections
Vishwak Sen’s Mechanic Rocky, featuring Meenakshi Chaudhary and Shraddha Srinath as the female leads, was directed by Raviteja Mullapudi and released on Friday, November 22. Earlier this year, Vishwak impressed audiences with Gaami and Gangs of Godavari, both earning good reception. Hoping for a hat-trick with Mechanic Rocky, Vishwak faced disappointment as the film only managed average talk. This directly impacted its opening-day collections. The movie earned just ₹2.3 crores gross worldwide on its first day, significantly lower than Vishwak’s previous films. Gangs of Godavari and Gaami grossed ₹8 crores and ₹8.6 crores respectively on their opening days, while Das Ka Dhamki earned ₹8.88 crores. Compared to these, Mechanic Rocky’s first-day collections plummeted by a staggering 75%.
Zebra’s Collections
Satyadev and Daali Dhananjaya starred in Zebra, directed by Eashvar Karthik, known for Penguin. The film, featuring Priya Bhavani Shankar and Amrutha Aiyengar as the female leads, was a white-collar crime drama. Despite promotions by Megastar Chiranjeevi, Zebra failed to live up to expectations and garnered average talk. This reflected in the collections as well. According to trade analysts, the film grossed ₹65.8 lakhs worldwide on its first day, with ₹55.5 lakhs coming from the Telugu states. While there is hope for better collections over the weekend, the lackluster start poses a challenge for the film.
Devaki Nandana Vasudeva’s Collections
Ashok Galla, the son of businessman Galla Jayadev and nephew of Mahesh Babu, starred in Devaki Nandana Vasudeva. With a story by Hanu-Man fame Prasanth Varma and directed by Arjun Jandhyala, the film attempted to mix spirituality, commercial elements, and thrill. However, its release on November 22 brought shockwaves with disastrous talk and poor reception. Unsurprisingly, the collections were abysmal, grossing just ₹15.5 lakhs worldwide on its opening day, as per trade reports. Given the negative buzz surrounding the film, collections are expected to dip further in the coming days.
These first-day numbers paint a grim picture for the Tollywood releases of the week, with Vishwak Sen’s market taking a hit and Satyadev and Ashok Galla struggling even more to leave a mark.