Gurram Paapi Reddy, which hit theatres on Friday, has been receiving positive reviews from audiences. Starring Naresh Agastya and Faria Abdullah in the lead roles and directed by Murali Manohar, the film has been appreciated for its humour and quirky storytelling. However, some viewers felt that the film was slightly lengthy, prompting the makers to revisit the final cut.
Confirming the development, director Murali Manohar said that nearly 20 minutes have been trimmed from the film based on audience feedback. “After receiving responses from viewers, we decided to reduce the runtime by about 20 minutes. The trimmed version has been screening from the evening shows since yesterday,” he said. A couple of songs and a few scenes were removed, bringing the film’s total runtime down to two hours and 25 minutes.
The director expressed happiness with the film’s overall reception. He noted that the morning shows were initially affected due to the simultaneous release of the Hollywood film Avatar: Fire and Ash, but collections improved as the day progressed. “The morning shows were a bit dull, but by the evening, the response picked up well,” he said, adding that the team is encouraged by the turnout for a small-budget film.
According to the director, several theatres recorded close to 90 per cent occupancy during evening shows, which he described as a positive sign. “The word of mouth has been encouraging, and I am hopeful that the film will perform even better over the weekend,” he added.
Buoyed by the response, the team has intensified promotions. “We will be visiting theatres and are also planning promotional tours in Andhra Pradesh over the next few days,” Murali Manohar said, concluding that the makers are confident about the film’s prospects at the box office.
