Another dud for this hero

Kapatadhaari was certainly, one of the better films from Sumanth to have released after a hit like Malli Raava. The crime thriller received reasonable reviews, had a unique script and fine performances, but it hasn’t translated into good footfalls in theatres across the Telugu states. There hasn’t been any effort to generate hype from the makers before the release and clashing with two films on the same day wasn’t going to make it any easier for them.

Uppena has continued to have a strong hold in cinemas while good word-of-mouth has helped Naandhi emerge as a safe bet for its distributors in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Kapatadhaari is sandwiched between these two films and reports say it is running with negative shares during the weekdays. Was it the timing, the choice of the hero or the story that proved disastrous or all of it put together?

The makers had proudly claimed that they had rejected direct-to-OTT deals for the film. One must make a fair assessment of a hero’s box office potential, star power in the project and the content’s commercial appeal before heading for a theatrical release, especially when they have other options/mediums these days. It’s a crucial time for Sumanth now – he needs to self-introspect before taking up lead roles and should ideally consider character roles to sustain his career henceforth. His next release is Anaganaga Oka Rowdy.