Digital test: Can mass heroes survive without fresh stories?

HYDERABAD

The whistles may still greet a star’s entry, but the real test begins when the hero walks into the story. In Tollywood, a familiar face, a massive opening and a grand release no longer guarantee a successful theatrical run.

The warning signs are hard to ignore. Chiranjeevi and Ram Charan’s Acharya failed despite bringing two generations of Mega family stardom together. Prabhas’s Radhe Shyam disappointed despite its lavish production, while Vijay Deverakonda’s Liger failed to convert enormous pre-release hype into box-office success.

The setbacks continued. Chiranjeevi’s Bhola Shankar and Ravi Teja’s Ravanasura and Tiger Nageswara Rao struggled in 2023. In 2024, films such as Venkatesh’s Saindhav, Ravi Teja’s Eagle, Ram Pothineni’s Double iSmart and Vijay Deverakonda’s The Family Star failed to meet expectations. Ram Charan’s Game Changer, released in January 2025, also disappointed commercially despite its scale and anticipation.

These results raise an uncomfortable question: are audiences tiring of the formula, or are filmmakers asking them to pay too much for familiar entertainment?

For decades, Tollywood’s traditional heroes thrived on powerful introductions, punch dialogues, fights, songs and spectacular victories. That formula has not disappeared. But audiences now have OTT platforms, global cinema and social media reviews at their fingertips. They can reject a film before its second weekend.

Nor does the pan-India label guarantee success. Bigger budgets, expensive promotions and inflated theatrical expectations can turn an ordinary disappointment into a major financial setback.

Yet traditional heroes are not finished. Their experience, fan bases and screen presence remain valuable. The challenge is to match that appeal with stronger scripts, believable characters, sensible budgets and roles that reflect changing times.

Tollywood does not need to retire its heroes. It needs to retire the belief that stardom alone can sell a story. In the digital age, a star may bring the audience to the theatre—but only the film can persuade them to stay.