Don’t Trouble the Trouble hits screens on Friday — and the pressure’s already unbearable. Not because of a trailer, not because of a star-studded premiere, but because Mahesh Babu liked it. And SS Rajamouli cried. That’s the new benchmark now. The film, directed by Sashank Yeleti, has entered the rarefied zone where emotional reactions from industry giants are treated as box office barometers. Rajamouli’s tearful response, described as “emotional” by 123telugu.com. Isn’t just a personal moment. It’s a narrative device in the film’s pre-release campaign. It’s not even clear if he watched the full cut or just a scene, but the story is being told as though it happened. That’s enough. The internet has already started treating it like a cinematic event. Meanwhile, Jr NTR showed up at the pre-release event. No official role. No announcement. Just presence. And yet, the photo of him with Suriya and Fahadh Faasil is doing more than any poster. The film’s title, Don’t Trouble the Trouble, sounds like a warning. But the real trouble might be managing expectations. Mahesh Babu’s tweet, brief, unadorned. Was all it took to spark a wave of speculation. He didn’t say “I loved it.” He didn’t say “it’s brilliant.” He just said it. And that’s enough. Now, Sashank Yeleti has to deliver. The question isn’t whether the film will make money, it’ll likely do fine, given the buzz. The real test is whether it can survive the weight of what’s already been said about it. The first reviews drop Thursday night. If they’re lukewarm, the backlash won’t be about the film. It’ll be about the hype. And that’s the only thing that matters now.