Dil Raju has been facing numerous challenges with the delays and budget escalations surrounding Game Changer, starring Ram Charan. Initially set for a Christmas release, the movie faced further delays, adding to the producer’s headaches. This postponement was another hurdle, as there were commitments to OTT platforms, and distributors had not shown much interest in the Christmas release due to high prices.
However, a silver lining has emerged for Dil Raju. With Vishwambhara postponing its release to the summer of 2025, Dil Raju seized the opportunity to shift Game Changer to a Sankranti 2025 release, which has proven to be a jackpot for him. Distributors were notified of the date change, and this festive release brings significant advantages. Sankranti is one of the most lucrative seasons for Telugu cinema, and no other Tier 1 hero is set to release a film during this period, allowing Game Changer to gain maximum attention.
Additionally, this timing provides an edge in the Tamil market, where a Sankranti release could boost the film’s reach, especially with only Ajith’s Vidaamuyarchi possibly arriving at that time. Since Sankranti can accommodate 2-3 films, this competition won’t pose a significant issue.
The only remaining question is whether Dil Raju will choose to release Venkatesh’s film directed by Anil Ravipudi for Sankranti as well. In 2023, two films from the same production house—Waltair Veerayya and Veera Simha Reddy—were successfully released during Sankranti, and it remains to be seen if Dil Raju will follow the same strategy or move the Venkatesh film to a different date.