Here’s a look at everything Telugu cinema has to offer, from star-led vehicles to breakthrough films and exceptional performances from new directors.
Audiences were spoiled for choice in the pandemic-hit year with a flood of content on streaming platforms and cinema halls. The language divide continued to blur as audiences turned their attention to series and movies, which were readily available on streaming platforms. The Telugu film industry, which had felt a growing appetite for tentpole films in theatres as well as domestic audiences after normalcy was restored, went into an overdrive and produced a spectrum of series and films.
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an occasional Crack, Uppena, Jathi Ratnalu And lawyer saab The first wave was a box office hit. When trading resumed in late July after a disastrous second wave, it was mostly no sham. sitimar And love story, Still, it was a challenge to attract viewers who were used to watching the house during the lockdown.
Footfall was actually observed only in December, beginning with monolithic And after this Pushpa – Uday And Shyam Singha Roy,
put on a digital show
In many OTT shows, stop Attention was drawn to the Aha by Nandamuri Balakrishna. The Telugu web series is yet to render something gritty and cutting edge. Those who stood out with fresh narratives included kudi yedmathe (Ahh), Oka Chinna Family Story (Zee5) and Unclear (Disney+Hotstar). Beginning of the Year, Netflix Anthology Film gall story The director brought together Tharun Bhaskar, Nandini Reddy, Nag Ashwin and Sankalp Reddy.
new tribe
We will talk a little bit about the big films led by the star, but first, the most watched Telugu films that have come from new and emerging directors.
Match: Director Uday Gurrala’s Mail was a throwback to rural Telangana in the mid-2000s when the internet was a luxury. Starring Priyadarshi as the owner of a smug internet cafe and Harshit Malagireddy as a student eager to gain an understanding of the internet and email, this bubbly tale explores internet fraud through a comedy drama.
cinema bandi: set in a lesser-explored rural area of the Telugu states near the Karnataka border, free-spirited cinema bandi Directed by Praveen Kandregula, tells the story of the people of an un-narrated village who are trying to make a film when one of them stumbles upon an expensive video camera.
Raja Raja ChorDebut director Hasith Goli’s film, led by Sri Vishnu, was a quirky comedy with many laughable segments and an emotional story of punishment and redemption.
caste ratnalu: The story of first time director Anudeep KV traces the comic adventures of three Jogipet boys played by Naveen Polishetty, Priyadarshi Pulikonda and Rahul Ramakrishna. The film lent itself to mass laughter therapy in theatres, but curiously, received mixed reactions when it hit the digital platform.
Net: Imagine private spaces being watched 24/7, with footage insured to countless voyeur customers. This doesn’t seem far-fetched in the age of data leaks and privacy violations. Bhargava Macherla NetStarring Rahul Ramakrishna, Praneeta Patnaik and Avika Gor, is a dystopian tale that explores online visibility and uncovers frustrations in relationships.
skylab: This fictional story was inspired by the fallout of the space station Skylab in the late 1970s. Set in Bandalingampalli in Telangana and presented like a Hollywood musical comedy, skylab It was a sheer joy. Debut director Vishwak Khanderao acted in many stories, big and small, in this film led by Nitya Menon, Satya Dev, Rahul Ramakrishna and Vishnu Oi.
Oracle: Director Ashwin Gangaraju’s fable looks at the changing equation between science, religion and superstition in a tribal village that has never seen a radio and is worshiped as a talking god.
anonymity: This anthology of stories by first-time director Sujana Rao is set during the floods of Hyderabad that changed the course of things for both young and old. Starring Shriya Saran, Shiv Kandukuri, Priyanka Jawalkar and Charuhasan.
Uppen: The box office loved director Buchi Babu Sana’s old-fashioned tale of a poor boy meeting a rich girl and the earthy atmosphere of a seaside village. Discussing male masculinity, the film starred Vijay Sethupathi, Panja Vaishnav Tej and Kriti Shetty.
redundant remake
Remakes became redundant as the original films became available to watch on digital platforms, sometimes in multiple languages. However, remakes can be serious in terms of script and performance, Ustad, Narappa And visible 2 The much-awaited ended up as a lighter version of the original.
medium and message
Directed by Shekhar Kammula love story Discussed the pertinent issue of caste, class, gender politics and child abuse. What better way to do it than through a musical love story and a family drama? Effective performances by Sai Pallavi, Naga Chaitanya and Ishwari Rao shouldered this memorable drama.
Republic Directed by Deva Katta was the story of a righteous bureaucrat’s fight against corrupt political practices. The Sai Dharam Tej starrer garnered a decent response at the box office but earned praise when it became available for digital viewing.
lawyer saabtelugu remake of rose, should have been a perfect star-led vehicle to deliver the message against sexual harassment. The claim of ‘na means no’ was there but was essentially reinforced by the masala segment that catered to Pawan Kalyan’s fanbase. Women were also depicted as tamer versions from the Hindi original.
Director Rahul Sankrityan’s story of reincarnation reached the end of the year Shyam Singha Roy Devadasi came back to Bengal in the late 1960s and 70s before the practice was abolished. The romance between a left-leaning fiery writer (played by Nani) who affirms the power of the pen and a woman steeped in devadasi tradition (Sai Pallavi) with a dash of semi-classical music was the heart of the classy outing. and dance. Sai Pallavi and Nani’s exceptional performances in the Bengal segment left many viewers wondering whether Shyam and Rosie deserve a film of their own.
Coming to Sai Pallavi, she works flawlessly under the constant gaze of the camera and her arresting performance was an asset to both. love story And Shyam Singha Roy,
to the gallery
The actor played a double role in Nandamuri Balakrishna and director Boyapati Srinu’s third film. Packed with dialogues and gravity-defying stunt sequences that largely fit the film template, monolithic Rocked at the box office. It reportedly got a U/A certificate after several cuts, but it’s still hard not to recall the brutal violence on screen.
Director Sukumar’s third film with Allu Arjun brought out the best in the actor, who transformed himself to play the role of a shrewd porter who rose to power in the red sandalwood smuggling syndicate. Pushpa – Uday The last one hour may have gone down drastically but hopefully Allu Arjun and Fahadh Faasil lock horns for a more engaging sequel, Pushpa – Rules,
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