The year 2025 has delivered an unexpected reality check for Telugu cinema.
When the combined box office performance of North and South Indian film industries is considered, Telugu films stand last, a stark contrast to earlier years when Tollywood dominated the pan-India space and pushed Hindi, Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam films to the margins.
Topping the list is Kannada cinema’s Kantara: Chapter 1 at Rank 1, with a massive worldwide gross of approximately Rs 850–900 crore.
Hindi cinema follows strongly with Chhaava at Rank 2 collecting Rs 797.34 crore, Dhurandhar at Rank 3 with Rs 721.51 crore (still running and probably secure this year top position after its final run), and Saiyaara at Rank 4 earning Rs 579.23 crore.
Tamil cinema secures Rank 5 with Coolie, which grossed between Rs 514–675 crore.
Further down the list, War 2 (Hindi) stands at Rank 6 with Rs 303.22 crore. Mahavatar Narsimha, a multilingual release across Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu, occupies Rank 7 with Rs 300–325 crore.
Malayalam cinema makes a strong presence with Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra at Rank 8 collecting Rs 300.08–303.2 crore, followed by They Call Him OG (Telugu) at Rank 9 with Rs 293.65–300 crore.
At Rank 10 is Malayalam film L2: Empuraan, which earned around Rs 268–278 crore. With only one Telugu film in the top ten, this year stands as a disappointing phase for Tollywood, making They Call Him OG the sole consolation in an otherwise underwhelming 2025 box office performance.
That too, the film is not a blockbuster hit commercially, as domestic distributors couldn't make any profit for over rated buying.
While this is the case, Gujarathi film "Laalo- Krishna Sada Sahayate' made at Rs 50 lakh budget minted more than Rs 110 Cr gross at the box office, making the historical ROI.