Sundeep Kishan’s latest outing, Mazaka, hit screens globally on Maha Shivaratri, with sky-high expectations from the audience as well as the trade circles. Produced by a commercial formula, the film led many to believe that it would be another director-level mass entertainer.
But with some paid premieres earlier than the official release, Mazaka was unable to take momentum from day one. With a weak opening and weak weekday collections, the film is now marching towards a colossal failure.
Mazaka: A Box Office Disaster
The first week reviews for Mazaka varied from average to good, and word-of-mouth reviews were also quite neutral to positive. Although such reviews tend to propel a film during the weekend, Mazaka did not catch on.
Among the reasons for concern were the low first-day collections for the movie. Because Maha Shivaratri fell on a Wednesday, Thursday and Friday lacked the magic because they were business-as-usual days. There was speculation in the industry as well as buyers’ hope that the film would pick up the pace on Saturday and Sunday over the weekend, but it all turned out for the worst.
Collections during Saturday and Sunday did not report any notable spurt, while advance bookings of subsequent days were abysmal. With those pathetic figures in hand, Mazaka is definitely moving towards emerging as one of the largest box office flops in Sundeep Kishan’s entire career.
What Went Wrong for Mazaka?
A number of reasons have lead to Mazaka’s box office debacle, viz.:
- Weak Pre-Release Buzz
Even with a well-known leading actor and successful director, the movie failed to create sufficient pre-release buzz. The absence of forceful promotions and little hype led to weak advance bookings prior to release.
- Weak Release Date Strategy
Releasing a movie on a weekday such as Wednesday is always a gamble, since movies require solid weekday support to keep the momentum going. Mazaka’s release date backfired since its first two days were ordinary weekdays, and by the time the weekend came, people had lost interest.
- Lack of Connection with the Audience
Although the reviews of the film were not negative, they were not powerful enough to draw people to cinemas. At a time when people are choosy about going to watch films in cinemas, Mazaka was unable to generate the must-see factor.
- High Budget and Financial Losses
The movie was shot on a whopping budget, hoping for a successful box office run. But with such dismal footfalls and poor collections, buyers are finding it hard to break even even 1/3rd of the cost. The money losses will be massive.
A Career Blow to Sundeep Kishan and Trinadha Rao Nakkina?
Both Sundeep Kishan and Trinadha Rao Nakkina were relying on Mazaka’s success to make their careers even stronger. Sundeep Kishan, who has had a patchy career with hits and flops, required a huge commercial hit, but Mazaka has turned into a career-worst flop instead.
Director Trinadha Rao Nakkina, who has had a successful track record for the past decade, will also face challenges in regaining his momentum after this setback. A director known for delivering hit commercial entertainers is now left with a box office dud, raising concerns over his next project.
Can Mazaka Recover or Is It Too Late?
With such abysmal collections and poor audience acceptance, the possibilities of Mazaka recovering from this loss are none. Even with decent weekend walk-ins, the movie would have struggled to even break even, but with things as they are now, it is evident that the movie will finish as a huge loss affair.
Theatrical collections are far, far below mark.
Distributors are going to lose a significant chunk of their investment.
Satellite and OTT rights can cut down losses to some extent but will not come close to meeting the humongous deficit.
Unless there’s some divine intervention in the days to come, Mazaka officially becomes a box office flop now.
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Final Thoughts: A Warning for Tollywood
The flopping of Mazaka is an eye-opener for Tollywood filmmakers and producers. With a bankable hero, a leading director, and a huge budget, success remains no guarantee.
Movies these days require robust content, well-timed releases, and forceful promotions to survive in today’s highly competitive market. Mazaka’s failure is testimony to the dangers of inadequate planning and half-hearted execution.
Coming to Sundeep Kishan and Trinadha Rao Nakkina, they will now need to rethink their strategies and pick their next projects with care in order to recover from this huge disappointment.
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