Telugu film Sankranthiki VasthunamMade for Family Audiences, was released on January 14 this year and reportedly delivered an impressive RS 300 Crore in three weeks. Directed by Anil Ravipudi, the film has emerged as the most profitable Telugu film for Sankranti this year, exceeding director Shankar's Ram Charan-Starrer, Exchanger. Both films were mainly produced by Dil Raju.
In Tamil Cinema, director Sundar Cs Madha Gaja Raja Has affected an agreement with the family public, reportedly more than RS 55 Crore at the cash register since the release on January 12. Meanwhile the Tamil language KudumbasthanA modest family film is said to have been collected around RS 18 Crore since the release on January 24. The success of these films raises an intriguing question: make family films a comeback in South Cinema?
Learning from a bad 2024
The year 2024 was a challenge for the South Indian film industry, with considerable losses across the board. The Malayalam film industry reportedly had to do with losing RS 700 Crore, while the Tamil film industry saw a shortage of approximately RS 1,000 crore. Various films with a large budget, including Indian 2” Kanguva And ExchangerDid failing to ignite in the cash register.
Against this background, the success of films such as Sankranthiki Vasthunam And Madha Gaja Raja has surprised many. Interestingly, Anil Ravipudi's film has no cast from A-list, instead with a 64-year-old Venkatesh next to Meenakshi Dixit and Aishwarya Rajesh. And, Madha Gaja RajaWith Vishal, Santhanam, Anjali and Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, was completed in 2013, but could not be released for 12 years due to legal and financial issues. It finally reached theaters in January 2025. KudumbasthanWith actor-writer Manikandan, who is known for Relatable, crowd-speting films, has also drawn a considerable family pins.
Pause the promotion
In 2024, the Indian Cinema largely followed the trend of previous years, with a stream of action -packed films aimed at a younger audience. Kollywood witnessed releases such as Raayan” Garudan” Captain Miller” KanguvaAnd Thallanewhile Tollywood saw films like Devara: part 1” Saripodhaa Sanivaaram” EagleAnd Guntur Kaaram. However, the tide seemed to run when Sivakarthikeyan's Amaran was Released on October 31. It resonated with a family audience and cruel almost RS 340 Crore worldwide.
Film journalist Bharath Kumar comments on this shift, notes: “The film industry was aimed at action dramas and thrillers and negligible family -oriented stories. Family public was not given a priority, because most films were aimed at younger viewers who were looking for action-packed stories. In 2024, many large action films did not succeed in even capturing the youth market. Family Entertainers, who combine sentiment, drama, comedy and a feel-good factor, have now found a favor with the public. The success of these films in January 2025 shows a growing demand for fresh, healthy content without violence and noise. People want to come to the cinema, enjoy a good smile and stay happy. '
Family view
Such films offer a refreshing alternative to dark, more intense genres such as action and thrillers. With these films, groups and families can also visit theaters together, a trend that had been taken. In a recent interview, actor Manikandan explained that Kudumbasthan Investigates the struggles of a family man in today's digital world through a humorous lens. He described it as “the adventurous ride of a family man and the challenges that a married woman is confronted”. The recognizable content of the film has earned praise from both critics and the public.
With 2025 on the way to a promising start for family entertainers, it is still to be seen whether this trend will last the year. Producers can now be encouraged to invest in such films, especially given the decreasing popularity of large action films. The tide may just turn.
(The author is a senior entertainment journalist and film critic)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
