For the last three years, a strange Sankranti sentiment has been continuing. Big films that come with huge expectations are failing.
In 2024, Guntur Kaaram disappointed. In 2025, Game Changer failed to live up to hype. This year, The Raja Saab joined the list.
Every January, one film that is expected to shine surely ends up missing the target. Still, the box office as a whole is not dull.
Like every year, January box office performed well this time too. The surprising part is that during Sankranti, not one or two, but three films clicked.
Once again, it was proved that the box office has the strength to handle three or four releases at the same time.
In the first week of January, films like Vanaveera, Psych Siddharth, 45 and Gulabi were released. None of them managed to attract audiences.
However, the re-release of Nuvvu Naaku Nachav did well in select theatres. Venkatesh’s classic still has strong fan support, and fans enjoyed watching it again on the big screen.
From January 9, the real Sankranti race began. The Raja Saab hit theatres with Prabhas as the hero. The film released in record number of theatres.
Even without Nizam premieres, it occupied most screens. It was the most hyped Sankranti release. But the result was shocking.
The Raja Saab turned out to be an outright flop. All distributors faced losses, and even the producer suffered heavy damage. The film was directed by Maruthi.
A few days later, Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu arrived. Starring Chiranjeevi and directed by Anil Ravipudi, the film turned into a massive hit in all areas.
After that, Bharta Mahashayula Vignapti released with Ravi Teja in the lead. Compared to his recent disasters, this film was much better, but it could not be called a hit.
As Chiranjeevi’s film gained stronger talk, this one slowly lost steam. Many felt it would have performed better if released in a non-festival season.
The next day, Anaganaga Oka Raju released with Naveen Polishetty as the hero. This film turned out to be a clear hit across Andhra and Nizam.
Nari Nari Naduma Murari faced a different problem. There was no strong buzz, and major screens were already taken by The Raja Saab and Mana Shankara Varaprasad Garu. Only a few screens were left.
Despite this, the film slowly gained positive talk and later hit talk. Unfortunately, by then it was too late. Good response came, but without enough theatres, collections suffered. Still, hero Sharwanand finally got a hit after a long gap.
Till the last week of January, Sankranti films dominated theatres. Towards the end, Om Shanti Shanti Shanti and a couple of small films released.
Screens were available, but content disappointed. Many expected Om Shanti Shanti Shanti, starring Tarun Bhascker and Eesha Rebba, to click, but it failed to connect.
Overall, January box office once again followed a familiar pattern. One big film failed badly, but strong content saved the season.
Mana Shankara Varaprasad Garu stood tall as the biggest winner, while Anaganaga Oka Raju and Nari Nari Naduma Murari also ended up successful.
In total, Sankranti 2026 saw three films shine at the box office.
