The Sankranthi 2026 box office season has reached its main phase, and all five major releases have completed their initial screenings. Even though Naari Naari Naduma Murari officially released today, it already hit theaters across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana with a large number of evening shows yesterday. Overall, the festive atmosphere around theaters has been energetic and positive.
Chiru’s Mana Shankara Varaprasad Garu is clearly leading the race with a strong response and packed shows. Anaganaga Oka Raju is also gaining steady momentum, with word of mouth improving day by day. Bhartha Mahasayulaku Wignyapthi is performing well in B and C centers, registering healthy occupancies. Last but not least, Sharwa’s Nari Nari Naduma Murari got blockbuster talk from evening shows itself.
However, the only film struggling in this festive battle is Prabhas’ Raja Saab. Expectations were extremely high, but director Maruthi failed to fully deliver on that promise. While the team put in solid efforts for promotions, content affected the final result. Editing mistakes and delayed placement of a old Prabhas fight sequence resulted in more negative talk. Despite these drawbacks, Prabhas’ star image still helped the film cross the 200 crore gross mark. Without his strong fan base, the situation could have been much worse.
What makes this Sankranthi special is the rare achievement of multiple films receiving good reviews at the same time. Seeing four films get largely positive responses during one Sankranthi season is something that has not happened in many years. A similar trend was last seen during the time of Khaidi No 150, Gautamiputra Satakarni, and Shatamanam Bhavati. Repeating such a feat after a long gap is truly notable.
With holidays continuing until Sunday, the current momentum is expected to remain strong. Once regular working days resume from Monday, the real test will begin. While the top position clearly belongs to Mana Shankara Varaprasad, the fight for second and third places remains open. A clearer picture will emerge in the next few days. One thing is certain though. This Sankranthi, the box office is truly shining.
Gulte Movie News And Politics