When the release of Akhanda 2 came to an unexpected halt last week, it came as a big setback not just for the team but for other filmmakers whose films were due to release in the following weeks. Unsurprisingly, when Akhanda 2, after a lot of to-and-fro, finally confirmed December 12 as the release date, it didn’t take too long for other upcoming films to announce their revised plans.
The first one to announce a new release date was the Shree Nandu-starrer Psych Siddhartha. Directed by debutant Varun Reddy, the promising dark comedy will now arrive on January 1. On Wednesday night, the makers shared the release date update with a quirky video featuring Nandu and Rana Daggubati. As of now, Psych Siddhartha remains the only Telugu release slated for January 1 release.
The ensemble cast includes Yamini Bhaskar, Priyanka Rebekah Srinivas, Sakshi Atree, Mounika, and Pradyumna Billuri. Besides playing the titular role and serving as a co-producer, Shree Nandu has also been credited with additional screenplay.
Mowgli avoids a direct clash with Akhanda 2
On Wednesday morning, the makers of Roshan Kanakala’s Mowgli also shared their new release date. Earlier scheduled to arrive on December 12, Mowgli will now release a day after on December 13. In India, the premiere shows will be held on December 12. However, for their overseas release, the makers will hold premiere shows today itself as planned earlier. Directed by Colour Photo-fame Sandeep Raj, Mowgli stars debutant Sakkshi Mhadolkar as the female lead and actor-filmmaker Bandi Saroj Kumar as the main antagonist, interestingly named Nolan. People Media Factory has bankrolled the project.
Among all the releases originally planned for December 12, Mowgli had the strongest chance at the box office. In a poignant social media post on Tuesday, Sandeep Raj had expressed his sadness at the idea of his film not getting an ideal release date.
Eesha goes for Christmas
Meanwhile, the makers of Eesha too held a press meet on Wednesday to officially announce December 25 as their film’s release date. Bunny Vasu and Vamsi Nandipati — who have distributed recent hits like Little Hearts and Raju Weds Rambai — have acquired the theatrical rights.
The horror-thriller, starring Hebah Patel and Thrigun as the lead pair, caught attention with its haunting trailer. Directed by Srinivas Manne, the film aims to deliver an edge-of-the-seat experience.
Telugu filmgoers have more in store at the cinemas this week. There’s Drive, the much-delayed Aadhi Pinisetty starrer, which is scheduled to release on December 12. Amidst all the commotion, the makers of Drive confirmed on Wednesday that they will arrive as planned, without any delays.
Similarly, amidst these many release date shifts, the makers of Patang, the coming-of-age film that has been in the post-production stage for over 1.5 years, confirmed that they too will release on December 25 as announced earlier. However, with Eesha joining the list of Christmas releases that already included Roshan Meka’s Champion, and Aadi Saikumar’s Shambhala, Patang will have a far tougher time getting the audience’s attention.
Meanwhile, the premiere shows for Akhanda 2 will commence on Thursday evening. While the AP government has also approved a price hike for the premiere shows, as well as the regular shows, starting from Friday till the first 10 days of its theatrical run. However, reports are now coming in that Telangana High Court has cancelled orders for price hike and special shows planned in the state.