Telugu cinema this weekend: Sita Ramam and Bimbisara fight it out at the box office

The Telugu film industry is extremely hopeful of two films to resurrect it from its patchy phase this weekend – Sita Ramam and Bimbisara. While Sita Ramam is a period romance that stars Dulquer Salmaan, Mrunal Thakur and Rashmika Mandanna in prominent roles, Bimbisara is a socio-fantasy headlined by Kalyan Ram, Samyuktha Menon and Catherine Tresa. Sita Ramam is directed by Hanu Raghavapudi while Bimbisara is helmed by the debutant Vassishta.

With Sita Ramam’s promotional campaign, the team has left no stone unturned for evincing interest from audiences. The music by Vishal Chandrashekar is a breath of fresh air that has ensured enough hype around the film. Set in the 1960s, Sita Ramam promises to be a heart-touching musical complemented by breathtaking visuals. While Dulquer Salmaan is effortlessly dapper as the orphaned soldier Ram, Mrunal Thakur looks like a dream in the role of Sita. Rashmika Mandanna plays the narrator in the film.

Sita Ramam is made on a grand canvas and the efforts in costume designing certainly show in the promos launched to date. The target crowd for the period romance is the multiplex audience and romance genre enthusiasts. Hanu Raghavapudi’s reputation for churning out memorable love stories is well known and is expected to help its cause at the box office. It’s crucial for the filmmaker to bounce back after two debacles like Lie and Padi Padi Leche Manasu. The director has repeatedly said that this is his career-best work in his interviews.

The other release, Bimbisara, if it clicks with audiences, will help revive the socio-fantasy genre that Telugu cinema hasn’t witnessed in recent years. The story showcases the transformation of a barbarian ruler Bimbisara with a time travel angle. The premise offers thrills, romance and action in abundance. It's evident that the producers have made the film on a lavish scale. While the trailers were very compelling, the cherry on the cake is the background score by MM Keeravaani.

Kalyan Ram's dedication and hard work for Bimbisara are visible, looking at his physical transformation. The presence of the female leads Catherine Tresa and Samyuktha Menon contributes to the film’s appeal. Jr NTR’s speech about the film during the pre-release event had provided a great push for the film without a doubt.

On the whole, both Sita Ramam and Bimbisara have high chances of tasting success at the box office, considering the buzz. While Sita Ramam may have a slight disadvantage, given the subject isn’t aimed at the masses, Bimbisara’s commercial appeal may turn out to be its major advantage. One would hope that both these contrasting films bring Telugu cinema back on track.