(This article is authored by Alar) 

While Vijay and Ajith fans eagerly anticipate their sensational matchup on Pongal 2023, new trouble arises for the Telugu version of Vijay's Varisu, 'Vaarasudu' to open in the theatres during the festive time.  Due to the strict guidelines set forth by the Telugu producers council, the movie cannot be released in Telugu town on a holiday because it is a dubbed version of a Tamil film. 

A few movies with Pongal 2023 releases in Tollywood include NBK's "Veera Simha Reddy" and "Walter Veeraiya," starring Megastar Chiranjeevi. A statement has been issued by the Telugu Film Producers Association, which reads, "Priority should be given to only live Telugu films in theatres during the festivals of Sankranti (Pongal) and Dussehra (Vijayadasami) in order to save the Telugu film industry as a result of the rise in the cost of producing Telugu films. 

"Following this, Dilraju, a famed producer and the current vice-chairman of the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce, stated in the media last year 2019 that theatres should only be given to live Telugu films during the festive season and that films with Telugu dubbing should be shown in the remaining theatres. Distributors are urged to respect this decision", the statement added. 

It is pertinent to note that the director of 'Varisu', Vamshi Paidipally recently said that the film is a direct Tamil film and it will be dubbed in Telugu.  It is also reported that the producers have asked for more theaters to release Dilraju's 'Varisu' in Telugu. Some film industry analysts claim that Dil Raju cannot defy the council because he is one of the key figures who introduced the Telugu-only film rule in the first place. 

As Vaarasudu is not a direct Telugu movie, sources say that the release of the Telugu version would be deferred as it is less likely to get released during Pongal 2023. It has been reported that Vaarasudu will most probably get released on January 26. As the movie team is getting closer to a trailer launch, the makers would restore the friction at Tollywood or would announce the new release date. Last week, Varisu's first single 'Ranjithame' was released and has been dominating the top of the charts.