Editorial: Star Power vs Content — Why 2025 Is a Wake-Up Call for Tollywood Heroes

Introduction:
What is star power? If a movie opens well irrespective of its pre-release content, the hero’s track record, the director’s reputation, or the film’s subject, then it can be said that a certain hero enjoys massive craze.
However, the way the box office is behaving currently has changed significantly from what it was a few years ago. Earlier, a star hero’s film used to rake in solid numbers over the first weekend irrespective of pre-release promotional content, reviews, and word of mouth. Producers would place their bets entirely on top heroes, believing in their crowd-pulling capacity. However, the scenario is no longer the same.
Analysis:
Cut to 2025, we have seen multiple big-ticket entertainers struggling to open strong at the box office despite featuring big stars. Game Changer, headlined by Mega Power Star Ram Charan; War 2, featuring Man of Masses Jr. NTR; and Hari Hara Veera Mallu, fronted by Powerstar Pawan Kalyan, opened to below-par numbers at the ticket windows.
These heroes are, without an iota of doubt, among the biggest stars of Telugu cinema. However, the films mentioned above didn’t match the craze, and following these actors enjoy. Not to belittle them, but we need to understand the new trend that has been evolving in Tollywood. This may not stop here and could continue in the coming days as well if the industry doesn’t take this issue seriously.
What is it that filmmakers need to concentrate on the most now while working with tier-1 actors? It’s CONTENT—as simple as that. No matter how big the star is, if the content doesn’t live up to audience expectations, films are bound to fall flat at the box office right from the opening day.
Here, audiences don’t mean fans alone. This is where the problem has been emerging, and the gap between the industry and audiences is constantly widening. When pre-release promotional content attracts only fans but fails to reach neutral moviegoers, the initial numbers are bound to take a hit, and this shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Let’s take an example to understand this new and disappointing trend better. OG, headlined by Pawan Kalyan, is the biggest opener of Telugu cinema and the second-biggest opener of Indian cinema in 2025, with more than Rs. 140 crores gross. OG’s opening is more than double that of Pawan Kalyan’s Hari Hara Veera Mallu. Both films feature Pawan Kalyan and were made on massive budgets. So what made the difference?
OG managed to capture the attention of common audiences and fans of other heroes as well, but on the other hand, Hari Hara Veera Mallu failed to do so, resulting in a below-par opening. It is the pre-release content that speaks volumes, not star power alone. For any big-star film to take a strong opening, the promotional assets need to be of high quality. However, after the release, it all boils down to the director’s output.
The Road Ahead:
Already, short OTT windows and exorbitant ticket prices are keeping audiences away from theatres. Only films featuring top heroes are managing to post decent numbers, and if the industry fails to understand the gravity of the situation and doesn’t focus on better, content-driven films, the situation will only worsen. The priority should be on delivering a strong product that appeals to a wider audience base, not merely fans. Do not take the audience for granted.The post Editorial: Star Power vs Content — Why 2025 Is a Wake-Up Call for Tollywood Heroes first appeared on Latest Telugu cinema news | Movie reviews | OTT Updates, OTT.