11 May 2022
Hyderabad

Hours before its release earlier in the month, the anticipation surrounding the trailer of Sarkaru Vaari Paata (SVP) was at fever pitch. With writer-director Parasuram Petla promising us that the superstar fans will go into a state of trance for at least five minutes after it drops, there was a section of Mahesh fans who were a divided house. If anything, the past instances dictated them to keep their expectations in check. But then the trailer which released on May 2 evening had everyone in awe, demonstrating that the no amount of promotions or pre-release events equals an impressively cut trailer, which is the primary promotional material that lures the viewers to log in to booking sites days before the film unspools.

The fact that Parasuram presented Mahesh in a fresh manner—from his physical appearance to mannerisms to his comic touch and not to forget the mass touch towards the end—meant that trailer not only had everything that fans of the superstar were rooting for, but the general audience, who keep the film afloat on weekdays ,too got all excited.

For someone like Mahesh who maintained a balance between being commercial and sensible (message-driven) at the same time with films like Srimanthudu, Bharat Ane Nenu and Maharshi for a good part of last decade, Anil Ravipudi’s Sarileru Neekevvaru—in tune with the demands of his fans— was his first tryst with a true-blue commercial potboiler after a long time. From the looks of it, SVP, however, seems to be a complete leap into the commercial space while being sensible. The added bonus is that he seems a Parasuram hero who can generate fun as well while thrashing goons into air and reeling out one-liners. All these factors combined are telling on the advance bookings which opened on Monday. The SVP mania has gripped the Telugu states. Tickets are filling fast and the signs are positive. With still today to go, the advance bookings (till Tuesday evening) have created a non RRR record for day one.

For an industry that was battered by the pandemic for almost one and half years, RRR and KGF: Chapter 2, this year, proved profitable for almost all the parties involved. Coming right after megastar-starrer Acharya, which couldn’t save its blushes at the turnstiles, SVP not only needs to make loads of money but also set precedent for the next line up of releases like F3. If it opens to positive word-of-mouth, the long weekend should auger well for the distributors. Healthier box-office means healthier industry!