Ram Charan's Peddi, directed by Buchi Babu Sana, has now officially been postponed, confirming what mega fans had been fearing for days.
The makers shared an emotional note announcing the delay and thanked audiences for the solid response to the film's glimpses and songs.
According to the team, most of the film is already completed. The talkie part is done, and only one song is left to be shot. They said they are very happy with how the film has shaped up so far, but they want more time for post production to deliver a proper big screen experience. The film is now expected to release in June, though the exact date is yet to be announced.
Even with this explanation, the timing has upset fans. The film was supposed to release on April 30, and the postponement came just two weeks before that. This is also not the first delay. It was earlier planned for March, then moved to April, and now pushed again, which has tested the patience of fans. One time postponing is still ok, but postponing a film a second time is pure embarrassment for fans and shows a lack of planning from the makers.
At the same time, this delay also raises a few questions. If only one song was left, why was the release not planned more carefully earlier?
Expectations for the film are already very high. After the disastrous response to Game Changer, fans were looking at Peddi as a thigh slapping comeback. The first glimpse created solid buzz, and songs like "Chikiri Chikiri," composed by AR Rahman, further increased the hype. In fact, the music helped silence some of the recent backlash around Rahman's work.
One big concern now is missing the summer holiday season, which usually helps films collect more due to holidays. That advantage is now gone. But at the same time, June may not be a bad option. Films like Kalki 2898 AD have performed very well in that period and even went on to collect Rs. 1000 crores, according to producers. Even a disaster word of mouth film like Adipurush collected around Rs. 300 crores worldwide in June, because of Prabhas and Ramayan hype.
Release timing does not matter much if the content is super exciting. If not, even the best release date will not help.
This delay has now become a double-edged sword. It gives the team more time to improve the film, but it also increases pressure. If Peddi delivers, this delay will not matter at all. But if it falls short, the backlash will be much harsher because of the hype and repeated postponements.