War 2 Turns into a Disaster; Lessons for Telugu Stars in Bollywood

War 2, the recently released Bollywood film featuring Telugu superstar Jr NTR alongside Hrithik Roshan, has turned out to be a colossal disaster at the box office. Despite sky-high expectations when the project was announced, the film failed to strike a chord with the audience right from its promotions and struggled to draw crowds from day one.

This failure marks the third major setback for Telugu stars in Bollywood after Zanjeer (starring Ram Charan) and Adipurush (starring Prabhas). The repeated box office disappointments have once again raised a key question: should Telugu heroes avoid direct Bollywood ventures and instead focus on films made by Telugu or Tamil directors with a pan-India appeal?

Industry observers believe that the storytelling style and larger-than-life presentation of South filmmakers have connected better with audiences nationwide. Telugu stars like Prabhas and Allu Arjun tasted huge success with such approaches, rather than depending solely on Bollywood directors.

Interestingly, recent reports suggest that Prabhas is in talks with a Bollywood filmmaker for a spy action drama, to be produced by Mythri Movie Makers. If true, this move has raised eyebrows, especially after the debacle of Adipurush. Many feel that lessons from past failures, reinforced by the result of War 2, should guide stars like Prabhas in choosing the right projects.

Fans now hope that Telugu actors prioritize directors who understand their strengths and deliver true pan-Indian cinema, rather than repeating costly missteps in Bollywood.