Sep 29, 2026 7:00pm IST
Fahadh Faasil’s Telugu Box Office Test: Can ‘Don’t Trouble The Trouble’ Turn His Fortunes Around?
Fahadh Faasil, the producer, is on a roll, having backed “Bethlehem Kudumba Unit,” the biggest blockbuster in the history of Malayalam cinema. But Fahadh the saleable star has hit a rough patch following the blockbuster success of “Aavesham” (2024), with two back-to-back disasters, “Odum Kuthira Chaadum Kuthira” (2025) and “Patriot” (2026). His last release, the Tamil film “Idhayam Murali” (2026), saw him in a supporting role and emerged as a moderate hit.
Now comes the big test: “Don’t Trouble The Trouble” (DTTT), his first straight Telugu film as a solo hero, which releases worldwide this Friday, Oct. 2.
Directed by Shashank Yeleti, the fantasy entertainer comes from Arka Mediaworks, the powerhouse behind the “Baahubali” franchise. Shobu Yarlagadda, S.S. Karthikeya and Prasad Devineni have produced the film, which is presented by none other than S.S. Rajamouli.
For Fahadh, the Telugu launchpad could hardly be more high-profile. After playing the antagonist in “Pushpa” and “Pushpa 2,” he has already established a strong presence with Telugu audiences. Among Malayalam stars who have ventured into straight Telugu cinema, Dulquer Salmaan is the only one to have cracked the market on a major scale, building a strong fan base across the Telugu states.
From Grey to White
What drew Fahadh to “DTTT” was its unusual storyline and Yeleti’s narration, particularly the journey of a character who moves from grey shades to white.
Fahadh plays Suri, a street magician and con artist in Hyderabad whose life changes when he encounters a young girl, Divya, played by Ssara Palekar.
Adding another interesting layer to the film, Fahadh has dubbed his own lines in Telugu. The film was shot in sync sound, a process he is accustomed to from Malayalam cinema.
Speaking to The Screen, Fahadh revealed that one of his biggest challenges was actually thinking in Telugu. He said he thinks in Malayalam, converts his thoughts into English and then performs them in Telugu.
He was also particular about dubbing his own lines, recording every dialogue across 79 real locations in Hyderabad over the course of the film’s one-and-a-half-year production.
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Rajamouli’s Strong Endorsement
At the film’s pre-release event in Chennai, Rajamouli gave “DTTT” a strong endorsement, recalling that Yeleti narrated the entire film to him in just one line and immediately hooked him.
Rajamouli also revealed that he had questioned Fahadh about repeatedly choosing dark characters and whether he could pull off a fun, lovable and feel-good film.
According to Rajamouli, “DTTT” is exactly that. After watching the film, he said he was moved to tears, while describing Fahadh as “simply Fahadh” and noting that young Ssara Palekar gives him tough competition.
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A Crowded October 2
“DTTT” will enter a crowded release frame on Oct. 2, competing with Jason Sanjay’s directorial debut “Sigma,” starring Telugu actor Sundeep Kishan; Vijay Sethupathi’s “Baththa”; Ashok Selvan’s “Anbil Avan”; and Malayalam star Biju Menon’s “Avarachan & Sons.”
That makes the Telugu market an especially important test for Fahadh.
For an actor who has built a formidable reputation with critics and established a pan-India profile through films such as “Pushpa,” a straight Telugu film as a solo hero represents a different challenge altogether.
“DTTT” will determine whether Fahadh can translate that pan-India recognition into box-office pull in the Telugu states. Oct. 2 will have the answer.
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