February box office has its own speciality. The Sankranthi movie rush ends, and discussions about summer releases slowly begin.
February stands in between these two phases. Even then, every year, at least one film usually turns out to be a success in this month.
Last year, Thandel released in February. In February 2024, Ooru Peru Bhairavakona arrived. In February 2023, it was Sir. In 2022, DJ Tillu. In 2021, Uppena. In 2020, Bheeshma.
Like this, February has delivered at least one hit every year. But what happened this February? Did the sentiment continue?
In the first week, many small films lined up for release. Among them, the relatively bigger film was Euphoria. Directed by Gunasekhar, who returned after a long gap, the film failed at the box office.
Despite being promoted as a message-oriented youth film aimed at parents and youngsters, it failed to attract decent collections. Even after picking up the megaphone again, Gunasekhar did not get the result he hoped for.
Along with this, films like With Love, Operation Padma, Barabar Premistha, Blood Roses, Laggam, and Erra Cheera all ended up as failures. Barabar Premistha gained some attention due to controversy, but it turned into a disaster from day one.
The second week also saw a string of releases. Two films stood out here. One came with expectations and failed, while the other arrived quietly and impressed. These were Funky and Couple Friendly.
Vishwak Sen faced another setback with Funky. The film failed badly and could not even benefit from the festive season. Though the title sounded trendy, the content disappointed. Directed by Anudeep, the film failed to connect.
On the other hand, Couple Friendly, starring Santosh Shoban, released without any expectations and surprised everyone. Made on a small budget with neat execution, the film performed better than expected at the box office.
Senior actor Arjun turned director and launched his daughter with Seetapayanam, but the film flopped. Other releases like Amaravathiki Aahwanam, Sky, and Nilave also failed. Even the re-release of Love Story was limited to just three screens and five shows.
In the third week, Hey Balwant and Nawab Cafe attracted attention due to promotions and censor issues. Hey Balwant, an A-certificate film starring Suhas, felt like a light time-pass watch but failed to make any strong impact. Nawab Cafe turned out to be a disaster.
Towards the end of February, Vishnu Vinyasam released, starring Sri Vishnu. The film offered some mild comedy but did not feel like a laugh-out-loud entertainer. Trade expectations from day one suggested that it would not make much impact at the box office.
Overall, nearly 20 films released in February, but not a single one could be called a super hit. The February hit sentiment that continued for six years finally came to a halt this year, as the box office completely disappointed.