Ram Gopal Varma calls box office numbers of Ram Charan starrer Game Changer “Fraud”: “A lie should sound believable”

January 14, 2025 - 10:16 AM IST

Renowned filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has stirred controversy by calling out the reported box office numbers of Ram Charan's latest film Game Changer. The issue arose when discrepancies were noted between the figures shared by the film's producers and those reported by trade analysts. Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Monday evening, Varma accused the film’s team of inflating numbers, labeling the claims as "fraud" and raising doubts about the credibility of Telugu cinema’s achievements.

Ram Gopal Varma calls box office numbers of Ram Charan starrer Game Changer “Fraud”: “A lie should sound believable”

Ram Gopal Varma’s Scathing Remarks

Ram Gopal Varma’s sharp criticism targeted the authenticity of the reported collections. Sarcastically addressing the situation, he wrote, “If @ssrajamouli and @SukumarWritings skyrocketed Telugu cinema in real-time collections into a fantastically stratospheric height... the people behind G C succeeded in proving that the South is much more FANTASTIC in being a FRAUD.” He added that such exaggerated claims could undermine the success of monumental films like Baahubali, RRR, KGF 2, and Kantara.

Producer Dil Raju Absolved

In his tweets, Varma clarified that he does not believe Game Changer's producer Dil Raju is behind the alleged misinformation. “I don’t know who’s behind these unbelievably naive lies, but for sure it can’t be producer Dil Raju because he is a truly grounded realist and he’s incapable of the fraud that is being committed,” he stated.

If @ssrajamouli and @SukumarWritings sky rocketed telugu cinema in real time collections into a fantastically stratospheric heights thereby sending legitimate shock waves into Bollywood, the people behind G C succeeded in proving that the south is much more FANTASTIC in being a…
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) January 13, 2025

Box Office Discrepancies Highlighted

Game Changer producers claimed that the film earned Rs 186 crore on its opening day, a figure that places it as the fourth-best opening for an Indian film. However, trade sources reported a significantly lower figure of under Rs 100 crore, with some platforms like Sacnilk estimating just Rs 80 crore globally.

Ram Gopal Varma also questioned the reported budget and revenues of the film. In a separate tweet, he remarked, “If G C costed some ₹450 cr, then RRR in its extraordinary never-before-seen visual appeal should have costed ₹4500 cr. The fundamental requirement of TRUTH is that it should sound BELIEVABLE and in the context of G C a LIE should sound even more BELIEVABLE.”

If G C costed some 450 cr then RRR in its extraordinary never before seen visual appeal should have costed 4500 cr and if G C film’s first day collections are 186 cr on day 1 , then PUSHPA 2 collections should have been 1,860 cr ..The point is that the fundamental requirement of…
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) January 13, 2025

Directed by Shankar, Game Changer features Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, and SJ Suryah in prominent roles. While the film opened strongly, its performance at the domestic box office has declined significantly. Four days post-release, it is yet to cross the Rs 100 crore domestic net mark.

Also Read: Game Changer team files complaint against 45 individuals behind piracy