Sankranthi Box Office Race: Raja Saab, MSG Lead the Charge
The Telugu film industry has officially stepped into the highly competitive Sankranthi 2026 box office race, and the festive buzz around theatrical releases is steadily reaching its peak. Sankranthi has always been the most lucrative season for Tollywood, and this year stands out as particularly special, as films starring top-tier superstars, mass heroes, and popular young actors are all arriving together, making it one of the most crowded and exciting festival line-ups in recent times.
Leading the race is Rebel Star Prabhas with The Raja Saab, one of the most anticipated Sankranthi releases. Trade circles believe that if the film manages to receive strong word of mouth and capitalizes fully on the festival advantage, it has the potential to gross ₹500–600 crores worldwide. With Prabhas’ global market and pan-India appeal, expectations are sky-high. However, industry insiders caution that anything below ₹400 crores gross worldwide would be considered a major disappointment, given the film’s scale, budget, and star power.
Close behind is Megastar Chiranjeevi’s much-awaited entertainer Mana Shankara Varaprasad Garu. Known for delivering solid festival blockbusters, Chiranjeevi once again aims to dominate the Sankranthi box office. Trade experts estimate that with positive talk, the film can comfortably reach ₹250–300 crores worldwide gross. The benchmark for breakeven is believed to be similar to Chiranjeevi’s last Sankranthi blockbuster Waltair Veerayya, which performed exceptionally well at the box office. If Mana Shankara Varaprasad Garu fails to cross the ₹200 crore mark globally, it would be seen as a significant underperformance for a festival release starring the Megastar.
Mass Maharaja Ravi Teja, another consistent Sankranthi crowd-puller, is also in the race with Bhartha Mahasayulaku Wignyapthi. While the film operates on a comparatively moderate budget, trade analysts feel that strong content and positive word of mouth could help it cross the ₹60 crore gross mark worldwide. On the flip side, collections below ₹50 crores would put the film in the flop category, according to trade calculations.
Adding further depth to the Sankranthi competition are Sharwanand’s family entertainer Naari Naari Naduma Murari and Naveen Polishetty’s youthful entertainer Anaganaga Oka Raju. Both films are expected to attract family audiences and young viewers during the holiday season. Trade expectations suggest that each film could collect in the range of ₹30–40 crores worldwide, provided they receive decent reviews and steady audience acceptance.
When all these releases are taken together, industry insiders estimate that total Sankranthi box office collections could touch an impressive ₹1000 crores worldwide, making it one of the biggest festival seasons for Telugu cinema. Even if all films do not emerge as outright blockbusters, the festive advantage plays a crucial role in boosting footfalls. Extended holidays, family outings, and increased theatre occupancy traditionally help films sustain collections despite mixed reviews.
Moreover, films that receive positive talk are likely to gain additional screens and extended theatrical runs, further strengthening their box office performance. In contrast, movies that fail to impress in the initial days may quickly lose screens due to the intense competition.
As expectations soar and trade predictions dominate discussions, all eyes are now on the opening weekend reports. The coming days will reveal which films convert festive advantage into box office gold and which stars truly emerge as the real winners of the Sankranthi race.
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