The last bonafide theatrically successful small film in Telugu was DJ Tillu, which was widely appreciated by the audience. Post that, only pan-Indian films were released in theatres, and with the exception of Prabhas’s Radhe Shyam, the others did very well at the Indian box office, with the Telugu states increasing the ticket prices by a lot at that.
Subsequently, every film with major actors has been trying to get hike ticket prices, and this has resulted in a self-destructive situation for filmmakers, with Acharya doomed at the box office. The film could have done decently at the box office, despite its negative talk, if the ticket prices weren’t that bloated. While Mahesh’s Sarkaru Vaari Paata seems to be doing better, it isn’t anywhere close to box office gold due to the prices.
On the other hand, there’s the matter of small films, which are almost not being recognised by audiences. Recently, Vishwak Sen’s Ashoka Vanamlo Arjuna Kalyanam got a decent talk and was even performing quite admirably at the box office. However, its run was smashed after the release of SVP. This is sade to say that while the longevity of small films in theatres is still in question, audiences would turn up only for films with good content, and every small film’s release should be timed perfectly.