Earlier this year, Sankranthiki Vasthunnam dominated theatres during the Sankranthi season, collecting nearly ₹300 crore worldwide. Since then, no straight Telugu film had crossed that benchmark—until They Call Him OG arrived in September.
Released on September 25, the film opened to a strong response and grossed close to ₹300 crore within its first ten days. On Sunday, the makers officially announced that it is now the highest-grossing Telugu film of the year.
The Telugu film industry has seen a quieter year, with fewer big releases and several major films underperforming at the box office. The absence of pan-India stars like Prabhas and Allu Arjun, coupled with Jr NTR’s War 2 being classified as a Hindi film, left limited competition. Meanwhile, Mahesh Babu is busy with #Globetrotter, which is yet to hit theatres.
Looking ahead, the next major contender is Akhanda 2 Thaandavam, slated for release on December 5, 2025. The sequel carries the brand value of the 2021 blockbuster Akhanda and marks the reunion of Nandamuri Balakrishna and director Boyapati Sreenu, a duo known for delivering three consecutive hits. The first film also performed well on OTT platforms in dubbed versions, and with Akhanda 2 planned as a pan-India release, positive word of mouth could help it compete for the top spot.
Akhanda 2 Thaandavam stars Nandamuri Balakrishna and Samyuktha Menon, is directed by Boyapati Sreenu, produced by Raam Achanta and Gopi Achanta under the 14 Reels Plus banner, and features music by Thaman.