After 12 years, Madhagajaraja, which had made unexpected box-office collections in Tamil, grossing over 40 crores, finally released its Telugu dubbed version after 18 days.
The producers had hoped for a similar response in the Telugu market, expecting the same enthusiasm, but unfortunately, Madhagajaraja seems to have faltered here. The opening collections were lackluster, and despite stars like Varalakshmi Sarathkumar and Anjali participating in promotions, Vishal was absent. The content was fairly routine, and the talk surrounding the film has been not encouraging.
There were reasons for the film’s massive success in Tamil. Since there were no big releases during the Pongal festival, Madhagajaraja was enjoyed by the audience there, even though it followed a formulaic approach. The long holiday season and music composed by Vijay Antony also contributed to its success. However, in Telugu, the same formula didn’t work. The audience here didn’t show much interest in a dated routine concept, even though the comedy and one-liners delivered by Santhanam were entertaining. But it wasn’t enough to carry the film.
Madhagajaraja was considered one of the more notable films during the Sankranti season, but its failure to generate buzz has had a significant impact. The presence of late artists like Manivannan and Manobala might have had some emotional connection for the Tamil audience, but for Telugu viewers, it felt outdated. While the film has commercial masala elements, they felt stale and lacked the appeal needed for today’s audience. This is why release timing for films is so crucial. Had Madhagajaraja been released in a different season, it’s likely that it would have seen a much better response.
