Rajamouli’s RRR has finally locked its new release date. The makers have announced that the film will be out in theatres on the 7th of January next year. The film will be releasing just ahead of the forthcoming Sankranthi season and it will be one of the first pan-India biggies to hit the big screens in 2022. The stakes are exceptionally high on RRR and the onus is on Rajamouli to deliver a winning film that pulls the masses and family audience alike to theatres in big numbers. RRR has done a pre-release theatrical business of over Rs 500 crores and it is essential that Rajamouli churns out a proper box office blockbuster.
However, RRR’s release date announcement has caused ripples in Telugu cinema. It has led to big changes in Tollywood’s Sankranthi line up. Now that RRR is up for early Sankranthi release, Pawan Kalyan and Rana’s Bheemla Nayak and Mahesh Babu’s Sarkaru Vaari Paata which were announced for Sankranthi release are set to be postponed to a later date. Both Bheemla Nayak and Sarkaru Vaari Paata are likely to be pushed to March or April, even is it is against the interests of the makers of these two biggies.
Also, Chiranjeevi’s Acharya which was lining up for the Sankranthi release has now been preponed and it will be releasing in theatres on the 17th of December this year. RRR’s Sankarnthi release has also left Dil Raju baffled. He planned to release his next film F3 in theatres next Sankranthi but might have to opt out now, given the fact that RRR is releasing next Sankranthi festival season. Apart from that, Dil Raju, who controls most of the theatres in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana will have to make necessary arrangements for RRR’s release and also provide a reasonably good release window for other biggies including Radhe Shyam. The final call on the same will be taken once Sankranthi release window is locked and loaded.
RRR’s Sankranthi release prospect has show direct effect on several Telugu films now. But given the scale and the magnanimity of the Rajamouli drectorial, everyone has to make way for it.