Telugu cinema: Newbies rule the roost in the first half of 2023

Here’s our pick of the notable Telugu films of 2023 so far:

Balagam

The most notable Telugu film of 2023 so far is Balagam. A rural story that is devoid of any commercial deviations, Balagam touched the hearts of filmgoers and drew them to theatres in droves from far and deep inside both the Telugu states. In many Telangana villages, the movie was screened by local leaders at village squares in makeshift open-air auditoriums on popular demand. Many stories were reported in the media about estranged brothers, family members forgetting their fights, enmity and getting reunited, inspired by the message of togetherness shown in the film. With Balagam, writer-director Venu Yeldandi runs a huge risk of mountainous expectations from his next.

Virupaksha

Virupaksha scores big for attempting a horror-thriller – a genre not tried in recent times on the Telugu screen. Writer-director Karthik Varma Dandu packed the film with daring writing choices. Making the female lead the villain is one such plot point. The casting was very apt and deserves appreciation.

Dasara

The daring here is entirely Nani’s and the producers for giving such huge budget – around Rs 60 crore to a debutant writer-director. And, Srikanth Odela succeeded in living up to the expectations put on him. Recreating a landscape and bringing alive all the characters in the microcosm, that too having actors like Nani, Keerthy Suresh, Shine Tom Chacko and others, is no small feat. That said, Dasara drew flak for the excessive booze guzzling in the film.

Samajavaragamana

Directed by Ram Abbaraju, this Sri Vishnu film is a clean, non-stop comedy. Though it has predictable story elements, the film is packed with fun characters, and situations that are relatable. This recently released film has a long way to go, and might turn out a decent hit at the box office too.

Mem Famous

23-year-old Sumanth Prabhas’ Mem Famous is a solid coming of age movie that has lots of relatable scenes showing the carelessness of youth and wrong ideas of self-sufficiency. The makers succeed in showing how friendship usually becomes the primary driving force in that age. The growing importance of social media, how it is moving towards playing a bigger role in life is also brought out nicely in the film. All of this happens in a rural setting, making it appear fresh and devoid of any urban pretensions. The talent behind Mem Famous is here to stay.

Ugram

After Naandhi and Maredumilli Prajanikam, Naresh surprised the Telugu audience again with his film Ugram this year. He almost convinced the audience with his makeover as a serious action hero, resulting in a decent run for the film at the box office. The movie stuck to his makeover relentlessly, letting go of chances to make the story more gripping.

Honorable mentions: Sir, Writer Padmabhushan, Das Ka Dhamki, Vinaro Bhagyamu Vishnu Katha, Butta Bomma, Ranga Marthanda, Ravanasura, Custody, Malli Pelli and Pareshan.

The first half of 2023 also saw films like Hunt, Meter, Shaakuntalam, Agent, Ramabanam, Anni Manchi Shakunamule, Ahimsa and Spy failing to meet the expectations of the audience. The failure of these movies, some of which were directed by experienced, big ticket directors, also points to the changing preferences of the Telugu audience – it is not names or past records they are looking for.

With big movies like Chiranjeevi’s Bhola Shankar, Vijay Deverakonda’s Kushi, Pawan Kalyan’s Bro, Boyapati’s Skandha, Prabhas’ Salaar, the second half of 2023 is looking exciting for Telugu film lovers.