Ram Charan’s Game Changer released in theatres on January 10, ahead of the Sankranti holiday season, marking director Shankar’s debut in Telugu cinema. While the film had a strong opening, its actual performance has become a topic of heated debate. Producers claimed it achieved the fourth-highest opening in Indian cinema history, while trade reports suggest it didn’t even surpass ₹100 crore on its opening day.
Inflated Figures: Fact or Fiction?
The official social media handle of Game Changer announced on January 11 that the movie grossed ₹186 crore worldwide on its opening day. The accompanying post featured Ram Charan in an action-packed scene, with the caption, “The king’s arrival is setting the box office ablaze. #GameChanger takes a blockbuster opening at the BOX OFFICE. #BlockbusterGameChanger GROSSES 186 CRORES WORLDWIDE on Day 1.”
However, trade tracker Sacnilk reported a contrasting figure of ₹80 crore worldwide on day one, with ₹51 crore net coming from India. This raised doubts about the validity of the producers’ claims, with several trade insiders estimating that the film’s actual opening-day collection was under ₹100 crore globally.
Ram Gopal Varma’s Criticism
Director Ram Gopal Varma (RGV) took to X (formerly Twitter) to question the alleged inflation of the movie’s box office numbers. In a scathing tweet, he wrote, “If @ssrajamouli and @SukumarWritings skyrocketed Telugu cinema in real-time collections into fantastically stratospheric heights… the people behind GC succeeded in proving that the south is much more FANTASTIC in being a FRAUD.”
He expressed concern that such alleged exaggerations undermine the credibility of legitimate successes like Baahubali, RRR, and KGF 2. While absolving producer Dil Raju, he criticized those responsible for the “naive lies.”
Echoes in Trade Circles
Film trade analysts from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana supported RGV’s remarks. One distributor called the ₹186 crore claim a “gross inflation of ₹100 crore in a day,” adding that it damages the credibility of South Indian cinema. Ramesh Bala, a prominent trade analyst, stated, “Everyone exaggerates box office collections to an extent. But I think these guys took it a bit too far this time.”
Game Changer’s Box Office Trajectory
After its bold claims of a ₹186 crore opening, the movie’s official account has remained silent about its subsequent earnings. According to Sacnilk, the worldwide collection stood at ₹130 crore by day three, far below the producers’ day-one claims.
The film faced a significant 52% drop in collections by its first Monday, despite the Sankranti holiday, and its numbers have continued to decline. With strong competition from new releases in Tamil and Telugu cinema, Game Changer is unlikely to surpass ₹200 crore worldwide during its run.
If the movie concludes without reaching the ₹186 crore mark initially touted as its day-one earnings, it would stand as a glaring example of irony and controversy in box office reporting.