The much-anticipated Telugu film Matka, starring Varun Tej, has failed to make a strong impact at the box office in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. According to a leading distributor, the film has managed to collect only Rs 1.40 crore in net collections over its first two days.
“Varun Tej was hoping to deliver a big hit, but the film has not set the box office on fire,” said the distributor. The film, reportedly made with a budget of Rs 30 crores, faces an uphill battle to recover its investment. Despite aggressive promotions and the appeal of a long weekend, poor critical reception and mixed audience feedback have hindered its performance.
Inspired by the story of the infamous Ratan Khatri, Matka promised all the elements of a commercial entertainer. However, critics have pointed out its predictable narrative and poorly defined characters, which seem to have dampened audience interest. Varun Tej, who had hoped to turn his fortunes around with the titular role of the ‘Matka King,’ finds himself in a challenging position.
Apart from the average success of F3, his recent films, Operation Valentine and Gaandivadhari Arjuna, have underperformed at the box office. The distributor remains cautiously optimistic. “The collections need to pick up drastically, and word-of-mouth publicity is crucial at this point,” he concluded.
For now, all eyes are on whether Matka can reverse its fortunes during the holiday weekend..