Ravi Teja’s Irumudi has emerged as the most-watched Telugu film of 2026 in theatres, with its latest reported theatrical footfall reaching 1.45 crore admissions since its August 21 release. The latest update places the film ahead of Ram Charan’s Peddi in terms of the number of people who watched the films in cinemas.
The milestone is notable because theatrical footfalls measure actual admissions rather than box-office revenue. A film with lower ticket prices can therefore sell more tickets while collecting less gross revenue, a pattern clearly visible in the Irumudi and Peddi comparison.
Irumudi vs Peddi theatrical footfalls
A same-market comparison for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana showed Irumudi reaching 91.91 lakh footfalls in its first 15 days, already above Peddi’s 87.78 lakh footfalls over its full theatrical run in the two Telugu states. Irumudi achieved the higher audience count while recording a lower tracked regional gross of ₹139.74 crore against Peddi’s ₹198.96 crore.
| Metric | Irumudi | Peddi |
|---|---|---|
| Telugu states tracking period | First 15 days | Full theatrical run |
| Telugu states footfalls | 91.91 lakh | 87.78 lakh |
| Telugu states tracked gross | ₹139.74 crore | ₹198.96 crore |
| First Sunday tickets sold | 11 lakh | 9.47 lakh |
| First Sunday average ticket price | ₹153 | ₹216 |
The first-Sunday numbers show how ticket pricing affected the box-office comparison. Irumudi sold about 11 lakh tickets in tracked Telugu-state shows on its first Sunday and generated ₹16.88 crore, with an average ticket price of about ₹153. Peddi sold 9.47 lakh tickets on its comparable Sunday but collected ₹20.50 crore, helped by an average ticket price of about ₹216.
That difference explains why Peddi could record a bigger gross while Irumudi drew more viewers. Footfall rankings count tickets sold, while gross rankings are also shaped by admission prices, premium formats and market mix.
The latest national footfall update now puts Irumudi at 1.45 crore theatrical viewers, extending the audience milestone recorded earlier in the Telugu states. The current report identifies Irumudi as the most-watched Telugu theatrical release of 2026 and says it has moved past Peddi, although it does not publish a corresponding all-India Peddi footfall total.