The frenzy of Telugu film buffs reached a crescendo in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and other Telugu communities abroad with the blockbusters of the two super stars Chiranjeevi and Nandamuri Balakrishna hitting the screens on two consecutive days.
A day after Chiranjeevi’s comeback movie “Qaidi No 150”, 150th film of his career created a record of sorts by hitting 1000 screens and lapped up by his enthusiastic fans everywhere, Balakrishna’s 100th film, a historic saga "Gautamiputra Satakarani" was released on equal number of screens.
In what was turned into a no hold barred fight for oneupmanship between the two camps the crazy fans turned every big theatre featuring the film of their favourite hero into venue of a massive celebrations signing, dancing and bursting the crackers.
As this was Chiranjeevi's first first film after a long gap of ten years, it was an undoubtedly a big festival time for his fans and admirers and the initial box office reports show the Mega star has not disappointed them.
Shankar Dada Zindabad was his last film ten years ago after which he made a foray into politics launching Praja Rajyam Party in 2009 but it ended in failure. After a listless political career in which he merged his party in Congress became member of Rajya Sabha and also a Junior Minister in UPA II Chiranjeevi decided to comeback where he belongs to.
In what is being billed as a “clash of titans of Tollywood” on the happy occasion of Sankranthi festival Balakrishna chose the story of 7th Satavahana king to portray a powerful character in his typical style on a epic scale with war and romance thrown in.
Chiranjeevi’s comeback movie is like many other typical Masala movie in his Mega style of the past.
Though a politically correct subject of farmers fight to save their land against the corporate sharks is at the hearty of the films but it is wrapped into package of full of violent fights, melo drama and typical Telugu comedy. As the title suggests Chiranjeevi is a wronged prisoner framed for taking up the cause of farmers. He breaks the jail and returns as a far stronger and clever messiah to save the farmers.
As no Chiranjeevi movie can be complete without blood and gore this one is no exception and to outdo all his earlier flicks there is one particular shot where the hero is perched upon a pile of hundred bodies after a valiant fight. Off course the hero remains unscathed.
On the first day the film was released in 300 Theaters in Telangana 600 in Andhra Pradesh and 100 in Karanataka and Maharashtra apart from many cities in USA and also in the gulf.
The way theatres specially the multiplexes in Hyderabad and other big cities were echoing with the tag line "The boss is back" Chiru's fans were hoping he will stay back to essay some powerful characters.
His screen personae his action scenes in particular suggest that passing time has left the actor largely untouched.
There are many asides to this fight of the two heroes. In an unusual gesture the governments of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have exempted the Balakrishna movie from entertainment tax on the ground that it was a historical film on glorious Telugu king. Balakrishna met the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao personally to bag the sop.
The move evoked a criticism of nepotism and favouritism for AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu as the actor his brother in law as well as his son lokesh's father in law. On the top of it he is also the legislator of Telugu Desam party.
"Gautamiputra Satakarani" has evoked a lot of praise from the peers and critics with the star director SS Rajamouli of Bahubali fame terming it as an "incredible feat of epic scale".
"I have to learn many things from the director Krish", he said.
Another famous director Ramgopal Verma took to Twitter to praise the Balayya film to sky. "Balayya in his 100th film only seems to have become 150 times more Mega advanced interns of great cinema", he wrote in an apparent dig at Chiranjeevi and his film.
Whatever be the final verdict the Telugu film buffs could not have asked for more entertainment this Sankranthi.