Omkaram Guruji’s Devotional Program – 25th July

Annapurna Studios has been active in film distribution for quite some time, but Akkineni Nagarjuna has generally maintained a selective and cautious approach when it comes to acquiring and releasing outside films. Most productions under the Annapurna Studios banner traditionally relied on the company’s own distribution network for releases.

However, things appear to have changed significantly after the successful Telugu release of Suriya’s Veerabhadrudu, the dubbed version of Karuppu. At a time when expectations around Suriya’s comeback were relatively low and reviews for the film were mixed, the movie surprisingly performed well at the box office.

While the Tamil version reportedly crossed nearly ₹240 crore gross worldwide, the Telugu version Veerabhadrudu also managed to register impressive numbers in the Telugu states, collecting close to ₹26 crore gross. Instead of purchasing the film outright, Nagarjuna reportedly released it on a revenue-sharing basis, a move that turned out to be beneficial for both the producers and Annapurna Studios.

Encouraged by this successful model, Annapurna Studios is now extending a similar strategy to another project. The banner has joined hands with KVN Productions and Thespian Films for the Telugu states release of the upcoming Malayalam film Balan The Boy.

The film is directed by Chidambaram S. Poduval, best known for the blockbuster Manjummel Boys. Scheduled for a worldwide release on June 19, 2026, Balan The Boy is currently being dubbed into Telugu by Annapurna Studios in preparation for a wide release across the Telugu states, despite strong competition from big releases like Peddi.