Box Office: Chhaava picks up in South India; Eyes Mahashivratri Holiday boost

Chhaava continues its strong box office run, gaining momentum in South India. With the Mahashivratri holiday approaching, the film eyes a major boost in collections.

By Shanaz Syed

Published on Feb 25, 2025 | 05:06 PM IST | 9.4K

Credit: Vicky Kaushal Instagram

Vicky Kaushal's latest historical action film Chhaava is seeing a surprising surge at the Hyderabad box office, thanks to a lack of strong local competition. The period action drama, directed by Laxman Utekar, which has already stormed into the ₹400 crore club from the worldwide box office, is now finding favour with South Indian audiences, particularly Hindi-speaking viewers in the city.

Hyderabad Audiences Turn to Chhaava as Local Films Slow Down
Last week’s Telugu releases, Laila starring Vishwak Sen and Brahma Anandam featuring comedy legend Brahmanandam, were expected to draw in crowds, but both fell short. Laila, though a commercial film, couldn’t create the buzz needed to sustain its run, while Brahma Anandam failed to strike a chord with audiences despite its comedic and emotional appeal.

With these films underperforming, Chhaava found itself in a better position to attract movie lovers looking for a solid theatrical experience.
Interestingly, many Hindi-speaking audiences in Hyderabad are choosing Chhaava over the usual fare. The film’s strong word-of-mouth, high-octane action, and emotional depth seem to be resonating beyond its core Hindi belt, helping it maintain a strong foothold even in the South too.

Shivaratri Holiday to Give a Big Push
With Maha Shivaratri around the corner, advance bookings suggest Chhaava is gearing up for one of its biggest days at the South box office, especially in Hyderabad city. The festival holiday often brings families to cinemas, and with no major Telugu release or Hindi release dominating screens in Hyderabad, Chhaava is in a great position to capitalize on the festive crowd. Evening and night show bookings are already showing a positive trend, and trade experts believe the film could post one of its best single-day collections in the city.

All Eyes on Mazaka
While Chhaava is enjoying a smooth run for now, the real test will come when Sandeep Kishan’s much-anticipated commercial masala film Mazakaa arrives in theatres tomorrow. This Telugu film is expected to shake things up on February 26th and could shift audience attention back to Telugu cinema. But until Mazaka lands, Chhaava has the Hyderabad market wide open, giving it an extended window to rake in even more at the box office.

For now, it looks like Chhaava is not just a Bollywood blockbuster—it’s turning into a nationwide phenomenon.

Disclaimer: The box office figures are compiled from various sources and our research. The figures can be approximate, and Pinkvilla does not make any claims about the authenticity of the data. However, they are adequately indicative of the box-office performance of the films in question.