In recent times, industry veterans and producers have emphasized the importance of supporting small movies in Tollywood. They often lament that film critics are killing small films.
But the irony is that the same veterans in the industry challenge small films by releasing their big films against them.
This week, two small films — Single and Shubham — were released. Unfortunately, a re-release of the classic Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari overshadowed them.
While it isn’t wrong to re-release iconic films, such movies don't rely on timing or competition — they can draw crowds anytime due to their fan following, especially with a megastar at the center.
On the other hand, small films depend on building early momentum, media coverage, and word of mouth.
The sudden competition from a beloved classic took away valuable screen space and audience attention, leading to poor collections, especially for Single, which didn’t even see a full house in Visakhapatnam’s morning shows — an unusual trend.
This is not stopping here. Next week, Yamadonga is going to be re-released, and plans are already being made for its promotions. Meanwhile, 3–4 small films are scheduled to release that same week.
With all this, we understand that it's not critics but the industry bigwigs themselves who are hurting small films.
The situation was not like this when Dasari Narayana Rao was alive. He stood as a true advocate for small films and worked toward securing them space in theatres. But now, after his demise, no one has taken up that mantle.
