The 2024 Sankranti witnessed a bustling atmosphere for Telugu cinema enthusiasts as four films clashed at the box office. However, the showdown between Mahesh Babu’s ‘Guntur Kaaram’ and Teja Sajja’s ‘HanuMan’ on January 12 stirred excitement among fans. While both films garnered positive reviews from critics and audiences, ‘HanuMan’ had a strong start, buoyed by Teja Sajja’s performance, while Mahesh Babu’s star power bolstered ‘Guntur Kaaram’. Nevertheless, ‘HanuMan’ gradually gained momentum at the box office, offering audiences an enjoyable superhero entertainment experience in theaters. The film continued its successful run, grossing over Rs 12 crore worldwide on day 9 (January 20). In contrast, ‘Guntur Kaaram’ reportedly earned just over Rs 4 crore worldwide on the same day, with the masala entertainer receiving lukewarm response compared to expectations. ‘HanuMan’ has now crossed the 100-crore mark in box office collections, with estimates suggesting a total of around Rs 110 crore. Despite ‘Guntur Kaaram’ grossing over Rs 200 crore in the first 7 days, the film failed to maintain its momentum, with its 9-day box office collection estimated to be around Rs 225 crore.
Prasanth Varma’s ‘HanuMan’ features Teja Sajja in the lead role, supported by Amritha Aiyer, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Raj Deepak Shetty, and Vinay Rai in significant roles. Directed by Trivikram Srinivas, ‘Guntur Kaaram’ stars Mahesh Babu in the lead role, alongside Meenakshi Chaudhary, Sreeleela, Prakash Raj, and Ramya Krishnan in pivotal roles.
