This Sankranti, Daggubati fans are not just celebrating the blockbuster success of their favorite stars but also reminiscing about a historic clash that occurred years ago. The excitement surrounding the record-breaking collections this time is immense, as they achieved a hundred crore share within just a week, surpassing the usual 40 or 50 crores. On this occasion, fans are recalling a major festival clash that took place two decades ago.
In 2000, Chiranjeevi’s brother, Annayya, was released on January 7, creating a huge buzz with mega openings and massive hype. However, just a week later, on January 14, two big films hit theaters simultaneously: Balakrishna’s Vamsoddharaku and Venkatesh’s Kalisundam Raa. What followed was unexpected. Kalisundam Raa turned out to be a massive success, breaking records and attracting family audiences to the theaters in droves. The success of Kalisundam Raa stalled Annayya, and Vamsoddharaku couldn’t recover from its disappointment. The film ended up reaching a Silver Jubilee in 17 centers, a remarkable achievement.
Before that, a centenary celebration was rare, occurring only in 76 centers. Annayya was well-received but could not surpass Kalisundam Raa‘s success. The situation became even more interesting when Dasari’s Sammakka Sarakka released on January 15, but the Kalisundam Raa wave couldn’t be stopped.
Fast forward to today, and we see another Sankranti clash. Daku Maharaj, despite grossing over a hundred and fifty crores, failed to live up to the expectations set by fans and critics. The festival has once again seen Balakrishna and Venkatesh rise victorious. Fans are reliving the euphoria of Kalisundam Raa, especially as it coincidentally shares the same release date as this year’s major hits. With Rajamouli’s Nan and Pushpa 2 in the fray, it remains to be seen what other wonders this Sankranti will bring.