Distributors across the Telugu states are pinning high hopes on Peddi starring Ram Charan to revive footfalls in theatres and bring much-needed relief to the struggling exhibition sector this summer.
“We are going through one of the dullest summer seasons in recent years,” says a noted distributor. “Several big-ticket films got postponed due to production delays and scheduling issues, and theatres are now surviving on small films that unfortunately haven’t generated enough buzz among audiences.”
This Friday, three Telugu films — Godari Gattupaina starring Sumanth Prabhas, Sathi Leelavathi featuring Lavanya Tripathi, and Razor directed by Ravi Babu — are hitting theatres. However, distributors admit that the advance bookings are far below expectations.
“There is hardly any pre-release excitement. Promotions have been quite low-key, and without major stars, audiences are not showing interest in advance bookings,” he explains. “In some centres, shows have recorded zero bookings, while a few multiplexes have opened only one show because of poor demand.”
According to distributors, the situation has become particularly alarming in B and C centres, where several single-screen theatre owners are reportedly considering shutting operations temporarily until the arrival of Peddi in June.
“The collections are so poor that many theatre owners are struggling to pay electricity bills and staff salaries. Everyone in the trade is now looking towards Peddi to bring audiences back to theatres in big numbers during the holiday season,” the distributor says.
At the same time, distributors feel the industry is facing a bigger challenge from changing audience habits. “With rising ticket prices, growing OTT consumption, and viewers becoming more selective, weak content and poor theatrical experiences are pushing audiences away from cinemas. If this trend continues, more people may permanently shift to streaming platforms,” he concludes.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
