In a somewhat anticipated turn of events, five films are set to clash at the Sankranthi 2024 box office, featuring Mahesh Babu's "Guntur Kaaram," Teja Sajja's "Hanu Man," Raviteja's "Eagle," Venkatesh's "Saindhav," and Nagarjuna's "Naa Saami Ranga." While the producers of these films have maintained silence, a palpable tension is mounting among them due to the scarcity of available theatres for each production.

Despite the unwavering support of Dil Raju for "Guntur Kaaram," the same distributor is also releasing films like "Saindhav" and "Hanu Man." Simultaneously, "Eagle" benefits from People Media securing theatres for an extended period, and "Naa Saami Ranga" finds solace in Nag's own Annapurna distribution network. However, the simultaneous release dates of "Guntur Kaaram" and "Hanu Man" on the 12th, followed by "Eagle" and "Saindhav" on the 13th, and "Naa Saami Ranga" on the 11th/14th, raises concerns about potential revenue erosion for each film.

While questions have been directed at the producers regarding this clash, they had initially defended their decisions, asserting that each film occupies its unique space and that release dates had been determined almost six months prior. However, recent revelations from a clandestine meeting of all the Sankranthi race producers suggest that they are urging the makers of "Hanu Man" to step out of the competition. Notably, "Hanu Man" was the first film to secure the January 12th release date, prompting ethical concerns about pressuring the film to relinquish its position. The makers of "Hanu Man," however, are adamant about retaining their release date, citing strong theatre arrangements in Bollywood for the same day.

The shifting release dates have become a common phenomenon in Tollywood, and the timeline of developments over the release dates is as follows:

Guntur Kaaram:

Announced on May 31st - Jan 13th New date announced on August 8th - Jan 12th

Hanu Man:

May 7th - Postponed with no date July 1 - Announced Jan 12th

Eagle:

Announced on July 12th - Sankranthi Vidudhala Announced on Sep 27th - Jan 13th

Saindhav:

March 29 - Announced date Dec 22 New date announced on Oct 5th - Jan 13th announced