Shankar had already planned to partner with Dil Raju for Indian 2 but due to a lack of money, Dil Raju had to leave. Then Shankar came together with Lyca Productions to make Indian 2, but the project ended soon because it was facing economic problems.
Seeking a change, Shankar approached Dil Raju with a new script by Karthik Subbaraj. He had initially thought of Pawan Kalyan in the title role, but Pawan’s political involvements made it out of the question. Dil Raju recommended Ram Charan, and after hearing the narration, Ram Charan signed on to the film.
Pre-Production and Initial Plans
While discussing, Ram Charan was occupied with RRR. Realizing that RRR would make him a pan-India star, Dil Raju and Shankar realized the huge potential of the film in various languages. Dil Raju designed a budget of ₹300 crore, and Shankar gave his nod.
They formally declared the movie as the 50th venture of Sri Venkateswara Creations (SVC) on February 12, 2021. The pooja event was held on September 8, and the shoot started in October 2021. They initially planned to release the movie in early 2023, with a closely packed shoot.
Unforeseen Delays Due to Indian 2
While Game Changer was on its way, Vikram released and became a hit. Red Giant Movies, the distributor of Vikram, intervened to sort out Indian 2’s production woes. They came together with Lyca, readjusted the budget, and gave the project new life.
Shankar convinced both production teams that he could manage Indian 2 and Game Changer simultaneously. But when Indian 2 resumed filming in August 2022, Game Changer suffered major setbacks. Delays increased, the budget spiraled beyond control, and business disputes arose. Zee Studios, which had partnered in production, struggled to manage the escalating costs.
While Indian 2 progressed, Game Changer incurred increasing losses. When Indian 2 released and failed, Game Changer’s budget crossed ₹400 crore, placing it in a perilous financial situation.
Weak Promotions and Post-Production Struggles
After Indian 2 was wrapped up, Shankar began Game Changer’s post-production. Dil Raju was adamant that the film be cut to 165–170 minutes, but Shankar had more than five hours of footage. The process took an eternity, forcing expensive reshoots and burning crores on discarded scenes.
Thaman’s music did not create hype, and posters and teasers did not spark interest. The flop of Indian 2 also tarnished Shankar’s reputation, questioning Game Changer’s prospects. Although Ram Charan’s stardom ensured a ₹200 crore theatrical business, the overall revenue of the film amounted to only ₹350 crore—well short of the ₹450 crore cost of production.
Critical and Audience Reception
The movie began weakly with no proper character growth and was bereft of any emotional depth throughout the first half. The romantic track didn’t work, though the interval point provided hope. Ram Charan’s portrayal as Appanna impressed, but the flashback portion didn’t last long enough. From the flashback forward, the film went off in the wrong track, and the second half derailed.
Shankar said he cut some wonderful scenes, but it is not known what they were. Other than the flashback and interval segments, the movie had no highlight moments.
Box Office Flop
With a breakeven point of ₹450 crore, Game Changer released to a ₹85 crore opening-day collection. But bad reviews, bad word-of-mouth, and poor pre-release buzz led to a box office disaster.
Telugu: ₹150 crore
Hindi: ₹35 crore
Tamil: ₹10 crore
Total Gross: ₹195 crore (43% recovery)
Biggest Losers in Game Changer’s Failure
The stardom of Ram Charan never got affected, as achieving a ₹200 crore gross despite the fiasco demonstrated his robust fan following. Still, Dil Raju and Shankar lost the most. Dil Raju ended up losing a huge amount of money, whereas Shankar’s reputation suffered, and nobody wanted to produce his upcoming projects.
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Final Thoughts
With improved planning, Game Changer might have been successful. Had Dil Raju managed the timeline and Shankar been working on one film at a time, the situation would have been different. Having Appanna’s flashback extended in the second half might have worked too.
If you still wish to see it out, the movie is on Prime Video—watch it for Ram Charan’s performance as Appanna.
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