Diwali box-office clash: ‘Dude’, ‘K-Ramp’ emergeas early front-runners

This Diwali witnessed a four-way clash at the box office, featuring three Telugu films—Mithra Mandali, TelusuKada, K-Ramp—and one dubbed release, Dude. Early reports suggest that Dude is poised to take the lead, repeating a pattern seen last year when Amaran outperformed competitors like Lucky Baskhar and Ka.

According to trade sources, Dude earned approximately Rs. 1.8 crore on Saturday in the Nizam region, while TelusuKada collected around Rs. 1 crore, and K-Ramp grossed Rs. 90 lakhs. Collections for K-Ramp saw a boost overnight, and it is expected to match Dude’s earnings on Sunday.

The differing audience bases play a key role in the box office dynamics. K-Ramp appeals primarily to mass B and C centre audiences, whereas Dude is attracting Gen-Z viewers and family audiences, giving it an edge in urban and multiplex markets. Meanwhile, TelusuKada and Mithra Mandali have shown stagnant growth, suggesting they may underperform by the end of the festive weekend.

Despite K-Ramp’s strong pickup in certain areas, the clash essentially comes down to a two-film race between Dude and K-Ramp. Last year, while Ka and Lucky Baskhar generated positive word of mouth, it was Amaran that defied expectations and dominated the box office. Dude appears to be following a similar trajectory, outperforming multiple releases in its path.

By the end of the Diwali weekend, trade analysts expect a clearer picture of which film truly emerges victorious, though early trends firmly point to Dude as the front-runner.