'Sankranthi' still drawing crowds

Hyderabad, March 19 (IANS): It is lack of competition that is keeping the top two films of the fortnight firmly in their slots.

1. "Sankranthi": Venkatesh's family drama is still drawing crowds as no new release is vying for audience attention. The Supergood Films, which was looking out for a huge hit, may have to settle for a moderate hit. Even fresh publicity has not improved the film's collections.

2. "Nuvvu Vasthanante Ne Vadantana": This is another film to cross the 50-day mark due to a lack of serious contenders. After a terrific opening, it has gradually been losing ground. Producer M.S. Raju, who anticipated that it would set new collection records like his previous hit "Varsham", is likely to be disappointed.

3. ""Radha Gopalam": Despite huge publicity including Chiranjeevi asking young couples to watch it for its realistic conflicts, thespian Bapu's tale of an egoistic husband has lost its sheen. Barring some good music and performances, it has no meat to sustain it for a few more weeks.

4. "Evadi Gola Vaadithi": The comic caper surprised many by crossing the 50-day mark in good number of centres despite its wafer-thin plot. It has provided another hit for Aryan Rajesh and his father 'EVV'. But the credit for its success should go only to its band of comedians.

5. "Dhairyam": Despite a reduced number of theatres, promotion is helping this film draw moderate collections. Though not a huge hit as anticipated by director Teja, it is holding on in A centres. The Nitin-Teja duo, however, has failed to recreate another "Jayam".