Chiranjeevi's Comeback Film Triumphs Over Prabhas in Box Office Battle
Superstar Chiranjeevi made a powerful return to the silver screen with his latest release, Mana Shankara Varaprasad Garu. The film, directed by Anil Ravipudi, has completed its first week in theatres. It faced direct competition from pan-India star Prabhas' horror-comedy The Raja Saab. The box office numbers reveal a clear winner in this cinematic clash.
Day 6 Collections Show Clear Advantage
According to industry trackers, Mana Shankara Varaprasad Garu earned ₹18.50 crore net on its sixth day in India. This performance came despite a slight dip on Saturday. The film fared significantly better than its competitor. On the same day, Prabhas' The Raja Saab managed to collect only ₹3 crore net. It is important to note that this was day nine for Prabhas' film.
When comparing the first six days of both Telugu releases, Chiranjeevi's movie clearly outshines Prabhas' offering. The numbers tell a compelling story of audience preference and box office momentum.
Detailed Six-Day Performance Analysis
Chiranjeevi’s Mana Shankara Varaprasad Garu maintained a strong grip at the box office. It collected an impressive ₹139.85 crore net domestically in just six days. The film received mixed reviews from critics, but this did not deter audiences.
The collections showed minor dips during weekdays. However, they stabilized in the ₹18–22 crore range from Tuesday onward. Wednesday brought in ₹19.5 crore net. Thursday saw a boost to ₹22 crore net, thanks to the Pongal festival. Friday experienced a slight dip with ₹19.5 crore net earnings. This trend continued into Saturday.
Despite these fluctuations, the film demonstrated consistent weekday performance. It held its ground firmly against the competition.
The Raja Saab's Steep Decline
Prabhas’ The Raja Saab opened with a bang. It earned a massive ₹53.75 crore net on its first day. However, the film witnessed a sharp drop in collections afterward. It amassed approximately ₹124.75 crore across all languages in its first six days.
The decline became evident over the first weekend. Saturday collections fell to ₹26 crore net. Sunday dropped further to ₹19.1 crore net. From Monday onward, daily earnings slipped into single digits. Monday collected ₹6.6 crore net. Tuesday brought in only ₹4.8 crore net. Wednesday provided some relief with ₹5.35 crore net, aided by the Pongal holiday.
Mana Shankara Varaprasad Garu not only performed better in overall first-week earnings. It also maintained stronger momentum and better box office hold compared to The Raja Saab.
Theatre Occupancy and Show Count Dominance
On day six, Mana Shankara Varaprasad Garu dominated theatres with strong audience turnout. It recorded an overall Telugu occupancy of 61.07%. The film showed steady momentum throughout the day. Morning shows began with 40.17% occupancy. Evening shows jumped to 72.15%. Night shows maintained a healthy 69.58%.
In contrast, The Raja Saab recorded an overall occupancy of about 32.52% among Telugu audiences on the same day. The difference in audience engagement is stark and telling.
Wider Screen Presence Across India
The dominance extended to show counts across the country. Mana Shankara Varaprasad Garu enjoyed a much wider presence, especially in major Telugu markets. Let's look at the numbers:
- Hyderabad: 555 shows for Mana vs. 163 shows for Raja Saab
- Bengaluru: 435 shows for Mana vs. 68 shows for Raja Saab
- Vijayawada: 121 shows for Mana vs. 39 shows for Raja Saab
- Vizag: 136 shows for Mana vs. 62 shows for Raja Saab
These figures confirm the significant gap between the two films' theatrical reach. Chiranjeevi's comeback in his retro avatar has clearly resonated with audiences. It has outperformed expectations and established box office supremacy in this head-to-head clash.
