Contrary to expectations, Om Namo Venkatesaya has turned out to be a dud at the box-office.
Coming from the combination that has given hits like Annamayya and Ramadasu, the failure of the movie is really surprising especially such a huge failure.
The title itself Om Namo Venkatesaya was a bit confusing. Many people were unaware that it was based on the life of a devotee Hathiram Baba.
The makers should have directly named the movie Hathiram Baba like Annamayya and Ramadasu. Even then, the entire movie does not carry the story of Hathiram Baba.
In the type of a documentary, episodes of Tirumala festivals were inserted into the movie. And the song of Pragya was in bad taste for a devotional film. Such skin show in this kind of a movie turned off the elderly from the theatres.
Another factor is the timing of the release. In february, parents start to concentrate on the upcoming exams of their children. So movies usually are a strict no-no during this time. One thing needs to be observed here.
When Annamayya was released, there were no bhakti channels around. But there are many devotional channels today beaming 24/7 into all households, so the incentive to go out to watch a devotional film is not exactly there.
Nag and Co have sold the movie for a profit but the buyers would be hard pressed to gt back their investment unless they have gone in for a cash-back deal, especially the overseas buyers.
