Nandamuri Balakrishna's Akhanda completes an extraordinary 50 day run in over 103 centres

If it was Sekhar Kammula's Love Story that brought back Telugu audiences to the cinemas after the second wave of COVID-19, there's very little debate that Balakrishna's box office tsunami Akhanda proved to be equally crucial in reviving the fortunes of a cash-strapped industry. The film that hit theatres on December 2,2021 has achieved a feat that not a single release in the recent past has managed to, completing a record 50-day run in the theatres in over a 100 centres.

Yes, Akhanda may be releasing on OTT this weekend but that hasn't stopped theatre owners from screening it or audiences from watching it. A 50-day run in 103 centres is an extraordinary achievement for any film in the digital era regardless of language, region or industry. Akhanda is the biggest hit in the career of its lead actor Balakrishna, who has completed a little over 100 films in nearly five decades. The director Boyapati Srinu and the star had also teamed up for other superhits like Simhaa, Legend in the past.

Made at a budget over Rs 50 crore, the makers, Dwaraka Creations, say that the film has managed to do a business of Rs 200 crore, including its theatrical gross and non-theatrical revenue. Akhanda ensured huge profits to the producer as well all its distributors and was surprisingly a profitable venture in international locations too. The film has done record business in UK and Australia, while crossing the 1 million dollar mark in USA. Despite the uncertain COVID-19 situation, Akhanda's theatrical run remained unaffacted and the film has managed to earn good numbers even in its seventh week.

S Thaman’s blockbuster album and a terrific background score was undoubtedly a huge add-on to the movie, which was also benefited by the contribution of cinematographer C Ram Prasad. Pragya Jaiswal, Purnaa, Jagapathi Babu and Viji Chandrasekhar played crucial roles in Akhanda while Srikanth was cast as an he antagonist. The film is releasing on Disney+ Hotstar tomorrow at 6 pm.