This week, Khaleja was re-released on the same day as Bhairavam, a new film starring Manchu Manoj, Nara Rohit, and Bellamkonda Sreenivas.
The makers of Bhairavam claim that the re-release of Khaleja affected the film's openings.
Leaving that aside, Mohanlal’s Thudaram on Jio Hotstar, Suriya's Retro and Nani’s Hit 3 were also released on Netflix the same day. Some say this, too, contributed to the underwhelming response to Bhairavam.
Another group points to live cricket matches on TV as a factor that impacted the film’s opening.
While all these reasons may hold some truth, they don’t tell the full story.
Let’s break it down part by part:
Those who genuinely wanted to watch Bhairavam would have prioritized it and found time for a show. So the claim that Mahesh Babu’s Khaleja hurt Bhairavam should be taken with a pinch of salt.
Whether those who chose to watch Khaleja would have watched Bhairavam if Khaleja hadn’t been re-released is purely speculative.
Coming to Netflix releases of Hit 3, Retro and Thudaram, it may look they didn’t have much impact — but here’s the catch; both films started streaming at midnight.
Hardcore film buffs often begin watching as soon as they're available, continuing till 3 AM or later. That leaves them too tired to catch a morning show of Bhairavam or any other film.
Had these movies not released at midnight, some of these film lovers might have gone to the theatre instead.
The point about the cricket match is fully valid — it’s a live experience and naturally pulls in large audiences.
Apart from all this, piracy remains a serious issue. Many websites release pirated versions of movies on the same day they're out in other countries. Viewers looking to save money often turn to these platforms.
So whether it’s Bhairavam or any other film, external factors do play a significant role in affecting collections.
However, films like Pushpa 2, Kalki 2898 AD, or others on that scale perform well at the box office despite piracy and other distractions.
In the end, it all comes down to strong marketing and a powerful star cast. Everything else — while partly valid — often becomes an excuse when expectations are not met.
