Box Office Twist: Kunchacko Boban’s Officer on Duty Telugu Dub steps back from March 7 race, leaving Chhaava vs Kingston!

Kunchacko Boban’s Officer on Duty Telugu release shifts to March 14, avoiding clash with Chhaava & Kingston on March 7. Sithara Entertainments plays smart with its release strategy.

Written by Shanaz Syed , Journalist

Published on Mar 05, 2025 | 02:40 PM IST | 14.6K

Credit: Kunchacko Boban Instagram

The box office race for March 7 has taken an unexpected turn, with Kunchacko Boban’s crime thriller, Officer on Duty, officially stepping out of the race for its Telugu release. The film, a Tamil blockbuster that hit theatres on February 20, was earlier announced for a March 7 release in Telugu under Sithara Entertainments. However, with sudden changes in the release calendar, the makers decided to play it smart and shift gears.

Initially, Officer on Duty seemed to have a smooth run with no major Telugu competition on March 7. But that changed when Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna’s historical action epic Chhaava entered the scene. After collecting a phenomenal Rs 452 crore in 19 days, Chhaava is now marching towards the prestigious Rs 500 crore mark, making it a box office monster even in the Telugu states.

Just when Sithara thought facing Chhaava was challenging enough, along came another unexpected contender — GV Prakash’s fantasy horror thriller Kingston. Starring GV Prakash and Divya Bharathi, Kingston created waves with its visually stunning trailer that caught everyone by surprise. The top-notch VFX, intriguing storyline, and the buzz around its Telugu release gave it instant hype.

Reportedly, Sithara’s head Naga Vamsi initially stood firm on March 7 for Officer on Duty, but the combined power of Vicky Kaushal’s pan-India appeal and GV Prakash’s rising popularity in Telugu (thanks to Bachelor and its viral songs) made him rethink the strategy. Adding to the mix, Kunchacko Boban has limited recognition in Telugu — making it crucial for Sithara to invest heavily in promotions if they wanted a fighting chance. Hence, the team opted for a safer plan, pushing Officer on Duty to March 14 instead.

But March 14 isn’t a clear field either! The date already hosts two direct Telugu releases — Dilruba, a rom-com starring Kiran Abbavaram and Ruhshar Dhillon, riding high on Kiran’s recent blockbuster success, and Court, a courtroom drama presented by Nani, featuring Priyadarshi, who has solid popularity after the success of Balgam.

With romance, courtroom drama, and a thriller all colliding on March 14, Naga Vamsi will need all his signature strategies and marketing tricks to make Officer on Duty stand out. As always, Sithara Entertainments knows how to play the box office game — and this twist only makes the battle even more interesting!