Dhamaka and 18 Pages are two of the last notable straight Telugu outings from Tollywood for the year 2022. So the anticipation was naturally high on these two films. 

But given the early word of mouth and the poor reviews both the films have garnered, it appears to be that Tollywood is ending 2022 on a low.

Ravi Teja's Dhamaka is declared to be a routing mass fare with Ravi Teja mark mannerisms being the saving grace. The overall verdict from the common audience is not that encouraging. It has to be seen how this film fares over the weekend.

Then there's 18 Pages, featuring Nikhil and Anupama in the lead roles. This film is billed to be a love drama. But it didn't garner the desired magical word of mouth that is essential for a love drama to click at the box office. 

As things stand, Dhamaka has gotten off to a fairly decent start at the box office, thanks to support from the masses. It has to be seen how this film holds up and also how 18 Pages performs over the final weekend of 2023.