Weekend Box Office, April 4 to April 6 : Disaster

This Friday, as usual, saw the release of multiple films. But only a few managed to catch the audience's attention. While several small-budget films hit the screens, it was the re-releases of two iconic movies that stole the limelight — though not quite the box office.

New Releases Fail to Create Buzz

Among the fresh releases were Lyf (Love Your Father), Ram Gopal Varma’s Saaree, and 28 Degree Celsius. These low-budget ventures failed to generate any significant buzz or footfall.

Ram Gopal Varma’s Saaree, in particular, turned out to be a major letdown. Despite the filmmaker's brand value, the film failed to even register a 10% occupancy rate on its opening day, adding yet another flop to RGV’s recent string of disappointments.

Aditya 369 Re-Release Disappoints Despite Hype

One of the most talked-about re-releases this week was Aditya 369, the classic sci-fi thriller starring Nandamuri Balakrishna. The film was digitally remastered and brought back to the big screen in 4K.

Balakrishna himself attended the pre-release event, and with his political party currently in power in Andhra Pradesh and his career graph on the rise, expectations were high. However, the reality turned out to be far from ideal.

Trade analysts predicted a strong opening, but the film saw shockingly low footfall. Reports indicate that even hardcore fans couldn’t fill 30–40 seats per show. Producer Sivalenka Krishna Prasad is reportedly struggling to recover the restoration costs.

Arya 2 Re-Release Sees Better Response, But Not a Hit

Arya 2, starring Allu Arjun and directed by Sukumar, fared slightly better. Riding on the immense popularity of Pushpa: The Rule and Sukumar's directorial brand, the film managed to generate some buzz, particularly in Hyderabad.

Though the numbers were better compared to Aditya 369, it still didn’t match the hype or box office performance seen with other recent re-releases of big-star films.

OTT Watch: ‘Test’ Fails to Impress

Over on Netflix, the much-anticipated OTT release Test — featuring an ensemble cast of Nayanthara, R. Madhavan, and Siddharth — also dropped this weekend. However, early reviews have been lukewarm, with audiences and critics alike calling it underwhelming.

This weekend at the box office was yet another reminder that nostalgia alone isn’t enough to bring crowds to theatres. Despite the buzz around re-releases, lacklustre marketing and outdated storytelling failed to click with today’s audience. On the other hand, fresh releases failed to capitalize on their theatrical run, and even OTT didn’t offer any respite.