Mahesh Babu’s five movies that deserve more appreciation

Murari (2001)

This Krishna Vamsi directorial is a supernatural drama that proved the mettle of Mahesh Babu as an actor. Despite a chartbuster album from Mani Sharma and a solid story, the movie stayed average at the box office. But over the years, audience has come to love the film after repeated viewings on television.

Takkari Donga (2002)

After Krishna and Chiranjeevi, Mahesh Babu is the only actor to star in a Western in Telugu cinema. The film is about hunt for a lost treasure, but what makes it special is its emotional core. Directed by Jayanth C Paranjee, the movie was made at a lavish scale but turned out to be an average grosser.

Naani (2004)

This film was miles away from the audience’s expectations from a Mahesh Babu film back in the day. The concept of an eight-year-old turning into an adult and vice versa was perhaps too much for the viewers to digest. Perhaps if the movie had its release now, it would be a hit.

Athadu (2005)

This Trivikram directorial is a blockbuster on television sets but didn’t work very well when it released in theatres. Mahesh Babu played a hitman named Parthu, and it looked like a role tailor-made for him. Over the years, the movie achieved cult status, especially for its action that was part choreographed by Peter Heins.

1: Nenokkadine (2014)

A psychological thriller, the film failed to bring audience to theatres but is a big hit on TV.