Dulquer Salmaan’s I’m Game Sets Up a Telugu Box Office Clash With Sumanth Prabhas and Allari Naresh

Dulquer Salmaan’s upcoming film I’m Game is heading for a new release window, and the change has created an interesting box-office situation in the Telugu market. The Malayalam action thriller, which was earlier scheduled to reach theatres on August 20, will now arrive on September 3, putting it in direct competition with two Telugu films that are also targeting the same weekend.

The film features Dulquer Salmaan in the lead role, while the actor is also associated with the project as a co-producer. Following the postponement, the makers have locked September 3 as the new theatrical release date. According to the announcement, the shift is aimed at giving the movie a broader reach and a larger theatrical platform.

An important part of the new release strategy is the decision to present I’m Game as a multilingual release. The movie will be dubbed and released simultaneously in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and Kannada. This move expands the film’s theatrical footprint beyond its Malayalam base and places greater importance on its performance across multiple markets.

For Telugu audiences, the September 3 release date brings an especially competitive scenario. Sumanth Prabhas’ Romanchakam is also scheduled to open in theatres on the same day. The romantic drama stars Sumanth Prabhas and Ananthika in the lead roles and is being presented by filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga. With both movies arriving on September 3, audiences will have two distinctly different choices at the box office.

Romanchakam belongs to the romantic-drama space, giving it a different positioning from Dulquer’s action-oriented multilingual film. The simultaneous arrival of the two movies means their opening-day performance will be closely watched, particularly because both will be competing for screens, show timings and audience attention.

The competition does not end there. On September 4, just a day after I’m Game and Romanchakam hit theatres, Allari Naresh’s Rambha Oorvashi Menaka is scheduled to release. The film marks the actor’s return to the comedy genre and adds another Telugu title to an already crowded theatrical weekend.

The teaser for Rambha Oorvashi Menaka has already introduced Vishnupriya, Rashi Singh and Prisha Singh as celestial characters. The film’s comedy-oriented positioning gives it yet another distinct identity within the group of releases arriving during the same period.

The three-way situation could make the first weekend particularly significant for all the films involved. I’m Game will be attempting to use Dulquer Salmaan’s popularity and its multilingual release strategy to attract audiences beyond Kerala. At the same time, Romanchakam will be looking to capitalize on its Telugu romantic-drama appeal, while Rambha Oorvashi Menaka will depend on its comedy format and Allari Naresh’s established image in the genre.

Dulquer already has a strong connection with Telugu audiences through his previous work, making the Telugu version of I’m Game an important component of the new release plan. The decision to release the film simultaneously in four languages also indicates that the makers are seeking a wider theatrical audience rather than limiting the film’s reach to its original-language market.

The revised schedule has therefore transformed what could have been a relatively straightforward release into a busy Telugu box-office weekend. Instead of arriving on August 20, I’m Game will now enter theatres on September 3, sharing its opening date with Romanchakam and landing just one day before Rambha Oorvashi Menaka.

For moviegoers, the clash offers three very different choices: an action thriller led by Dulquer Salmaan, a romantic drama featuring Sumanth Prabhas and Ananthika, and a comedy led by Allari Naresh. The coming weeks will determine how each film builds its promotional momentum ahead of the crowded release weekend.

With three releases positioned so closely together, the September 3–4 window is shaping up as an interesting period for Telugu cinema. Theatrical response, audience preferences and screen allocation could ultimately determine which film gains the strongest advantage during the opening days.