Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the

Telugu language Telugu (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken by Telugu people predominantly living in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where it is also the official language. It is the most widely spoken member of the Dravidian language f ...

, widely spoken in the states of

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to t ...

and

Telangana Telangana (; , ) is a state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the eleventh-largest state and the twelfth-most populated state in India with a geographical area of and ...

. Telugu cinema is based in Film Nagar,

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

. The nickname ''Tollywood'' is a portmanteau of the words Telugu and Hollywood. By 2021, it has emerged as the largest film industry in India in terms of box-office. Since 1909, filmmaker

Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu (15 October 1869 – 15 March 1941), was an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter, director, graphic artist, lyricist, author, educationist and entrepreneur considered as the father of Telugu cinema. Regarded as one of the pio ...

was involved in producing short films and travelling to different regions in

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an ...

to promote film work. In 1921, he produced the silent film, '' Bhishma Pratigna'', generally considered to be the first Telugu

feature film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

, and hence, regarded as the ''Father of Telugu cinema''. In 1933, ''

Sati Savitri Sati Savitri may refer to: * ''Sati Savitri'' (1932 film), a 1932 Hindi film * ''Sati Savitri'' (1933 film), a Telugu mythological film * ''Sati Savitri'' (1957 film), a Telugu mythological film * ''Sati Savitri'' (1978 film), a Telugu mytholog ...

'' directed by

Chittajallu Pullayya Chittajallu Pullayya (Telugu: చిత్తజల్లు పుల్లయ్య; 1898 – 6 October 1967) was an Indian film director and screenwriter. He is one of the earliest film personalities in Telugu cinema being associated with ...

received an honorary diploma at the 2nd Venice. Known for its big-ticket, and popular film genre catering to wider audience, works such as '' Pathala Bhairavi'' (1951) (only South Indian entry at the 1st IFFI), '' Malliswari'' (1951), '' Devadasu'' (1953), '' Mayabazar'' (1957), '' Nartanasala'' (1963), '' Maro Charitra'' (1978), '' Maa Bhoomi'' (1979), ''

Sankarabharanam Sankarabharanam may refer to: * ''Sankarabharanam'' (1980 film), an Indian Telugu-language musical drama film * ''Sankarabharanam'' (2015 film), an Indian Telugu-language crime comedy film * Sankarabharanam (raga) Dhīraśankarābharaṇaṃ, c ...

'' (1980), '' Sagara Sangamam'' (1983), and ''

Siva Siva may refer to: Film and television * Siva (director), Indian cinematographer and director * ''Siva'' (1989 Tamil film), a film starring Rajinikanth as the title character * ''Siva'' (1989 Telugu film), an action film Music and dance * "Siv ...

'' (1989) are featured in '' CNN-IBN'''s "100 Greatest Indian Films of All Time". Ethnographic works such as Mrinal Sen's '' Oka Oori Katha'' (1977) won the " Special Jury Prize (Karlovy Vary IFF)"; B. Narsing Rao's '' Maa Ooru'' (1992) won the " Media Wave Award" of Hungary;

K. N. T. Sastry Kanaala Nanjunda Tirumala Sastry (5 September 1945 – 13 September 2018) was an Indian film critic, screenwriter, director, littérateur, and producer, known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema. He has garnered six National Film Awards ...

's ''

Thilaadanam ''Thiladaanam'' (The Rite... A Passion) is a 2000 Indian Telugu-language drama film, written, and directed by film-critic K. N. T. Sastry in his debut directorial, based on the story by Rentala Nageswara Rao. The film features H. G. Dattatreya, ...

'' (2000) received "New Currents Award" at the 7th Busan; Rajnesh Domalpalli's '' Vanaja'' (2006) won "Best First Feature Award" at the 57th Berlinale. Mainstream works such as K. Viswanath's ''Sankarabharanam'' (1980) won the "Prize of the Public" at the Besançon Film Festival of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

. S. S. Rajamouli's epic '' Baahubali 2: The Conclusion'' (2017), and alternate history '' RRR'' (2022) are the only Indian films to win the American " Saturn Award for Best International Film". The later is the only Indian film to be featured in the " U. S. National Board of Review top 10".

History

Early development

The

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...

film industry originated with silent films in 1921, with the production and release of '' Bhishma Pratigna'' in 1921. The film was directed by Raghupathi Venkayya and his son R. S. Prakash. Y. V. Rao and R. S. Prakash established a long-lasting precedence of focusing exclusively on religious themes; ''Nandanar'', ''Gajendra Moksham'', and ''Matsyavatar'', three of their most noted productions, centred on religious figures, parables, and morals. The first film studio in South India, Durga Cinetone, was built in 1936 by Nidamarthi Surayya in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh. In 1935, ''Andhra Cine Tone'' was built in Visakhapatnam by ''Gottumukkala Jagannadha Raju''. He introduced digital theater sound with the 1935 film ''Jagadamba''.

Rise of the "talkie"

The first Telugu film with audible dialogue, '' Bhakta Prahlada'', was produced by

H.M. Reddy Hanumappa Muniappa Reddy (12 June 1892 – 14 January 1960), known as H. M. Reddy, was an Indian film director and producer, known for his works in Telugu cinema. He directed the first Indian multilingual sound film ''Kalidas'' (1931), shot in T ...

, who directed the first bilingual (

and Tamil) talkie Kalidas (1931). Bhakta Prahlada was completed on 15 September 1931, which henceforth became known as "Telugu Film Day" to commemorate its completion. Popularly known as talkies, films with sound quickly grew in number and popularity. In 1934, the industry saw its first major commercial success with '' Lavakusa''. Directed by C. Pullaiah and starring Parupalli Subbarao and Sriranjani, the film attracted unprecedented numbers of viewers to theatres and thrust the young industry into mainstream culture. By 1936, the mass appeal of film allowed directors to move away from religious and mythological themes. That year, under the direction of Kruthiventi Nageswara Rao, ''Prema Vijayam'', a film focusing on social issues, was released. Its success prompted the production of dozens of other immensely successful 'social films', notably 1939's '' Vandemataram'', touching on societal problems like the practice of giving

dowry A dowry is a payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price and dower. While bride price or bride service is a payment ...

, Telugu films increasingly focused on contemporary living: 29 of the 96 films released between 1937 and 1947 had social themes.

Cinema during the Crown Rule

In 1938, Gudavalli Ramabrahmam, has co-produced and directed the social problem film, '' Mala Pilla'' starring, Kanchanamala, the film dealt with the crusade against untouchability, prevailing in pre-independent India. In 1939, he directed '' Raithu Bidda'', starring thespian Bellary Raghava. The film was banned by the British administration in the region, for depicting the uprise of the peasantry among the Zamindar's during the

British raj The British Raj (; from Hindi language, Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Q ...

. 1940 film, '' Viswa Mohini'', is the first Indian film, depicting the Indian movie world. The film was directed by Y. V. Rao and scripted by Balijepalli Lakshmikanta Kavi, starring V. Nagayya. Rao subsequently made the sequel films ''Savithri'' and ''Sathyabhama'' (1941–42) casting thespian

Sthanam Narasimha Rao Sthanam Narasimha Rao, popularly known as Sthanam (23 September 1902 – 21 February 1971), was an Indian actor known for his works in Telugu theatre and Telugu cinema. He was known for playing female characters and was a recipient of a Padma Sri ...

. The outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

and the subsequent resource scarcity caused the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi language, Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Q ...

to impose a limit on the use of filmstrip in 1943 to 11,000 feet, a sharp reduction from the 20,000 feet that had been common till then. As a result, the number of films produced during the war was substantially lower than in previous years. Nonetheless, before the ban, an important shift occurred in the industry: Independent studios formed, actors and actresses were signed to contracts limiting whom they could work for, and films moved from social themes to folklore legends. Ghantasala Balaramayya, has directed the mythological ''Seetarama Jananam'' under his home production, Prathiba Picture, marking veteran Akkineni Nageswara Rao's Telugu screen debut in 1944.

Classical cinema and Golden Age

''Malliswari'' is the first Telugu film which had a public release with thirteen prints along with Chinese subtitles at Beijing on 14 March 1953, and a 16 mm film print was also screened in the United States. Eenadu Daily, Eenadu Sunday – 28 April 2013, 100 years of Indian Cinema, Early Tollywood, Page 9 The film was directed by

B. N. Reddy Bommireddy Narasimha Reddy (16 November 1908 – 8 November 1977), professionally known as B. N. Reddy, was an Indian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was an early figure in the Telugu cinema. Many of his earlier films like ''Vand ...

, a recipient of the Dada Saheb Phalke Award, and the Doctor of Letters honour. The industry is one of the largest producers of

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, r ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and drama ...

, mythological and melodrama films. Filmmakers like K. V. Reddy,

B. Vittalacharya B. Vittalacharya (28 January 1920 – 28 May 1999) was an Indian film director and producer known for his works in Telugu and Kannada cinema. He was known as ''Janapada Brahma'' in the Telugu film industry. Vittalacharya formed his film prod ...

and Kodi Ramakrishna have pioneered this genre. 1956 film Tenali Ramakrishna has garnered the All India Certificate of Merit for Best Feature Film. In 2013, IBN Live's poll cited Mayabazar as the Greatest Indian film of all time. Relangi, and Ramana Reddy were a comedy

double act A double act (also known as a comedy duo) is a form of comedy originating in the British music hall tradition, and American vaudeville, in which two comedians perform together as a single act. Pairings are typically long-term, in some cases fo ...

during this era. '' Nartanasala'' won three awards at the third Afro-Asian Film Festival in Jakarta. ''

Donga Ramudu Donga Ramudu may refer to: * Donga Ramudu (1955 film), an Indian Telugu-language drama film * Donga Ramudu (1988 film) ''Donga Ramudu'' is a 1988 Telugu-language action film, produced Chalasani Gopi by under the Gopi Art Pictures banner and dire ...

'' directed by K. V. Reddy was archived in the curriculum of the Film and Television Institute of India. Eenadu Daily, Eenadu cinema – 17 July 2013, National art theater, Page 10 '' Nammina Bantu'' received critical reception at the San Sebastián International Film Festival. 1967 film '' Ummadi Kutumbam'' was selected by Film Federation of India as one of its entries to the

Moscow Film Festival The Moscow International Film Festival (russian: Моско́вский междунаро́дный кинофестива́ль, translit. ''Moskóvskiy myezhdunaródniy kinofyestivál''; abbreviated as MIFF) is the film festival first h ...

. The 1968 cult classic Sudigundalu was screened at the Tashkent and Moscow Film Festivals. Bapu's directorial venture '' Sakshi'' was showcased at Tashkent International film festival in 1968. In 1976, he directed '' Sita Kalyanam'' got critical acclaim at the BFI London Film Festival and Chicago International Film Festival, and is part of the curriculum at

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

. '' Oka Oori Katha'' (1977) won special awards at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and

Carthage Film Festival The Carthage Film Festival (CFF) is an annual film festival that takes place in Tunis and founded in 1966. It is also called by its abbreviation JCC, from its French name, , or by its Arabic title, (''Cinema Days of Carthage''). Initially bienn ...

. ''

'' won the Prize of the Public at the Besançon Film Festival of France in the year 1981. B. Narsing Rao scripted and produced '' Maa Bhoomi'' which was showcased at Karlovy Vary Film Festival, and Cork Film Festivals. He directed, '' Daasi'' "(Bonded Woman)" and ''

Matti Manushulu ''Matti Manushulu'' () is a 1990 Indian Telugu-language drama film written and directed by B. Narsing Rao starring Archana. The film won the Best Feature Film in Telugu at the 38th National Film Awards, "For portraying the stark reality of pain ...

'' "(Mud People)" which won the Diploma of Merit awards at the 16th, and 17th Moscow International Film Festivals in 1989 and 1991 respectively. M. V. Raghu's Neo-realistic film '' Kallu'' (1988), scripted by Gollapudi Maruti Rao has received thirty state awards and has garnered special mention from the CBFC Jury.

Rise of Tollywood

Moola Narayana Swamy and

founded Vijaya Vauhini Studios in 1948 in the city of

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of ...

. Indian film doyen

L. V. Prasad Akkineni Laxmi Vara Prasada Rao (17 January 1907 – 22 June 1994), known professionally as L. V. Prasad, was an Indian film director, producer, actor, and businessman. He was one of the pioneers of Indian cinema and is the recipient of the Dad ...

, who started his film career with '' Bhakta Prahlada'', founded Prasad Studios in 1956 based in Chennai. However, through the efforts of D. V. S. Raju, the Telugu film industry completely shifted its base from

in the early 1990s, during N. T. Rama Rao's political reign. Veteran actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao relocated to Hyderabad and has developed Annapurna Studios. The Telugu film industry is one of the three largest film producers in India. About 245 Telugu films were produced in 2006, the highest in India for that year. Film studios in Hyderabad, developed by D. Ramanaidu and Ramoji Rao, are involved in prolific film production and employment. There is a fair amount of dispersion among the Indian film industries. Since 2005, many successful Telugu films have been largely remade by the Bengali cinema and Hindi film industries, while in the past, Telugu filmmakers drew inspiration from Bengali cinema and literature. Telugu film production accounts for one percent of the gross domestic product of the region. The digital cinema network company UFO Moviez marketed by Southern Digital Screenz (SDS) has digitized several cinemas in the region. The Film and Television Institute of Telangana, Film and Television Institute of Andhra Pradesh, Ramanaidu Film School and Annapurna International School of Film and Media are some of the largest film schools in India. The Telugu states consist of approximately 2800 theaters, the largest number of cinema halls of any state in India. Being commercially consistent, Telugu cinema had its influence over commercial cinema in India. The industry holds the Guinness World Record for the largest film production facility in the world, Ramoji Film City. The ''Prasads IMAX'' located in Hyderabad is one of the largest 3D IMAX screens, and the most attended cinema screen in the world. As per the CBFC report of 2014, the industry is placed first in India, in terms of films produced yearly. The industry holds a memorandum of understanding with the

Motion Picture Association of America The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the five major film studios of the United States, as well as the video streaming service Netflix. Founded in 1922 as the Motion Picture Producers and Distri ...

to combat video piracy. In the years 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2014 the industry has produced the largest number of films in India, exceeding the number of films produced in

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...

. 1992 film '' Gharana Mogudu'' is the first Telugu film to gross over 10 crore at the box office. Produced on a shoe string budget of 1.2 crore 2000 film '' Nuvve Kavali'' became sleeper hit of the late 1990s. It received an estimated foot fall for 200 days in 20 screens grossing over 20 crore.

Neo Tollywood

Dasari Narayana Rao directed the most number of films in the Telugu language, exploring themes such as aesthestics in '' Meghasandesam'' (1982), Battle of Bobbili in the biographical war film ''

Tandra Paparayudu Tandra Paparayudu was an Army General of Bobbili who assassinated Pusapati Vijayarama Gajapati Raju I Raja of Vizianagaram, and committed his ''Royal suicide'' during the Battle of Bobbili in 1757, a significant historical event in the Princely ...

'' (1986), alternate history with '' Sardar Papa Rayudu'' (1980), and gender discrimination in '' Kante Koothurne Kanu'' (1998) for which he received the Special Jury Award (Feature Film - Director) at the 46th National Film Awards. K. Raghavendra Rao explored devotional themes with '' Agni Putrudu'' (1987), '' Annamayya'' (1997), ''

Sri Manjunatha Manjunath is another name for the Hindu deity Shiva. It may also refer to: People * B. C. Manjunath, Indian classical musician/percussionist * Shanmugam Manjunath (1978–2005), Indian marketing manager murdered for his stand against corruption * ...

'' (2001), '' Sri Ramadasu'' (2006), '' Shirdi Sai'' (2012) and '' Om Namo Venkatesaya'' (2017) receiving various state honors. Singeetam Srinivasa Rao introduced

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imagination, imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, Paral ...

to the Telugu screen with '' Aditya 369'' (1991), the film dealt with exploratory dystopian and apocalyptic themes. The edge of the seat thriller had characters which stayed human, inconsistent and insecure. The film's narrative takes the audience into the post apocalyptic experience through time travel, as well as

generation of 1500 A.D, which including a romantic backstory, the "Time Machine" made it a brilliant work of fiction. Ram Gopal Varma's ''

'', which attained cult status in Telugu cinema, is one of the first Telugu films produced after the migration of Telugu film industry from Madras to Hyderabad to feature characters speaking the

dialect. Varma was credited with the introduction of steadicams and new sound recording techniques in Telugu films. Within a year of the film's release, more than ten steadicams were imported into India. ''Siva'' attracted the young audience during its theatrical run, and its success encouraged filmmakers to explore a variety of themes and make experimental Telugu films. Subsequently, Varma introduced road movie and film-noir to Indian screen with '' Kshana Kshanam''. Varma experimented with close-to-life performances by the lead actors, which bought a rather fictional storyline a sense of authenticity at a time when the industry was being filled with unnecessary commercial fillers. It went on to gather a

cult following A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic ...

in south India, with a dubbed

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of North India, northern, Central India, centr ...

version titled ''Hairaan'' released to positive reports from

bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...

critics, the Ann Arbor Film Festival, and the Fribourg Festival.

Chiranjeevi Chiranjeevi (born Konidela Sivasankara Varaprasad; 22 August 1955) is an Indian actor, film producer and former politician, who predominantly works in Telugu cinema. Chiranjeevi starred in over 150 feature films in Telugu, as well as some film ...

's works such as the comedy thriller, '' Chantabbai'', the vigilante thriller, '' Kondaveeti Donga'' the first Telugu film to be released on a 70 mm 6-Track Stereophonic sound, the western thriller '' Kodama Simham'', and the action thriller, ''

Gang Leader ''Gang Leader'' is a 1991 Indian Telugu-language action crime film written and directed by Vijaya Bapineedu, and produced by Maganti Ravindranath Chowdary. The film stars Chiranjeevi and Vijayashanti, while Rao Gopal Rao, Anandaraj, Mural ...

'', popularized genre films with the highest estimated footfall. Reddiff.com cited Sekhar Kammula's, National Award-winning '' Dollar Dreams'' (2000) as a take off from where Nagesh Kukunoor's '' Hyderabad Blues'' (1998) ends. Dollar Dreams explored the conflict between American dreams and human feelings. The film re-introduced Social realism to Telugu screen, and brought back its lost glory which until then was stuck in its run of the mill commercial pot-boilers. '' Vanaja'' (2006) won several international awards including the first prize in the live-action feature film category at the Chicago International Children's Film Festival. ''

Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, al ...

'' (2012), has garnered the Royal Reel Award at the Canada International Film Festival. 2013 Social problem film, ''

Naa Bangaaru Talli ''Naa Bangaaru Talli'' () is a 2013 Indian Telugu-language social problem film written and directed by Rajesh Touchriver. Based on a real-life story, the film stars Siddique, Anjali Patil, Lakshmi Menon, Neena Kurup, and Rathna Shekar. The fi ...

'' won Best Film award at the Trinity International Film Festival in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

, and four Awards at the Indonesian International Film Festival. 2014 film '' Minugurulu'' was selected as ''Best Indian Film'' at the 9th ''India International Children's Film Festival'', held at

Bangalore Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...

. 2013 Cultural film, ''

O Friend, This Waiting! ''O Friend, This Waiting!'' is a 2012 Indian film, Indian, bilingual documentary film in Telugu and English written and directed by Sandhya Kumar, based on the poetry of 17th century Telugu composer Kshetrayya. For its wholly unconventional inv ...

'' has received special mention at the ''Erasing Borders'' Festival of Classical Dance, Indo-American Arts Council, New York, 2013. 2014 film ''Parampara'' has garnered the ''Platinum Award for Best Feature'' at the International Indonesian Movie Awards. 2018 biographical film '' Mahanati'' based on the life of veteran actress

Savitri Savitri or Savithrri may refer to: In Hinduism * Savitri, with all vowels short, a Roman-phonetic spelling of the Rigvedic solar deity Savitr *Sāvitrī, a name of the ''Gayatri Mantra'' dedicated to Savitr *Savitri (goddess), the consort of Brah ...

has garnered the "Equality in Cinema Award" at the 2018 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. During the 1990s, the Rayalaseema dialect was portrayed in films about the factional conflicts in the area, while the Telangana dialect, already having been pegged to villanous and comedic roles, saw an increase in this usage in reaction to the shift of the Telugu film production from Madras to Hyderabad. After the formation of the state of

in 2014, Telangana culture gained more prominence, and more films were produced portraying Telangana culture, and dialect.

Sub-Genres and off beat films

Screenwriters such as Chandra Sekhar Yeleti experimented with the off beat film '' Aithe'' (2003) with a caption "all movies are not the same". Aithe was made on a shoestring budget of about 1.5 crores and went on to collect more than 6 crores. After almost two years he delivered another thriller '' Anukokunda Oka Roju'' (2005) both films were a refreshing change of pace to the audiences, produced by

Gangaraju Gunnam Gunnam Gangaraju is an Indian producer, screenwriter, and director known for his works in Telugu cinema and Telugu television. He is best known as the creator and co-producer of the TV sitcom ''Amrutham'' (2001–2007), widely considered to be ...

. Aithe was remade in Tamil as '' Naam'' (2003) and in Malayalam as ''Wanted'' (2004). Mohana Krishna Indraganti explored the themes of chastity, and adultery in his literary adaption '' Grahanam'' (2004) (based on "Gunadosham" by social critic G. V. Chalam). Grahanam was shot in 19 days with a digital camera. B. Anuradha of Rediff.com cited "In this offbeat film, Indraganti upholds the tirade against chauvinists who accuse a noble lady of infidelity, ignoring her denials with contempt". The film was featured at the Independent South Asian Film Festival in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

. Speaking about the centenary of Indian cinema at the CII Media and Entertainment Summit 2012, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur said regional cinema is surpassing Hindi cinema in content and story, and cited '' Eega'' (2012) as an example. Kapur said he was impressed with its story and use of technology, and called it "no less than a Hollywood superhero film". Shah Rukh Khan called ''Eega'' an "awesomely original" film and a "must watch" with children. ''Eega'' won the Most Original Film honor at the 8th Toronto After Dark Film Festival. Sub Genre war drama ''

Kanche ''Kanche'' () is a 2015 Indian Telugu-language romantic war film written and directed by Krish. It stars Varun Tej, Pragya Jaiswal, and Nikitin Dheer. Produced by First Frame Entertainment, ''Kanche'' revolves around the enmity between tw ...

'' (2015) by Krish Jagarlamudi explored the 1944 Nazi attack on the Indian army in the Italian campaign, during

in an engrossing background tale of caste-ism while giving it a technically brilliant cinematic rendition. Sankalp Reddy explored submarine warfare in his directorial debut '' Ghazi'' (2017), based on the mysterious altercation between PNS Ghazi and INS Karanj during the

Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military confrontation between India and Pakistan that occurred during the Bangladesh Liberation War in East Pakistan from 3 December 1971 until the Pakistani capitulation in Dhaka on 16 Dec ...

. Indo-Asian News Service called new-generation film maker Sandeep Vanga's Arjun Reddy the "most original, experimental work to come out of Telugu cinema in a long time", and said the protagonist's (played by Vijay Deverakonda) "rise, fall and rise ... is nothing short of poetic and heart wrenching". Actor-dancer Allu Arjun produced and acted in the short film, '' I Am That Change'' (2014), to spread awareness on individual social responsibility. The movie was directed by Sukumar, which was screened in theatres across

and

on Indian Independence day, 2014.

Adivi Sesh Adivi Sesh Sunny Chandra (born 17 December 1985) is an Indian actor, director and screenwriter who primarily works in Telugu-language films. Sesh was born in Hyderabad and was raised in Berkeley, California. He made his film debut as a lead act ...

scripted the Neo-noir '' Kshanam'' (2016), based on a real life incident of a missing three-year-old girl. Sesh followed it up writing R.A.W. thriller '' Goodachari'' (2018), and the war

docudrama Docudrama (or documentary drama) is a genre of television and film, which features dramatized re-enactments of actual events. It is described as a hybrid of documentary and drama and "a fact-based representation of real event". Docudramas typ ...

'' Major'' (2022). '' Cinema Bandi'' (2022) scripted and directed by Praveen Kandregula, and produced by film making duo Raj & D. K.; explored the theme of how a lost camera fuels dreams in a Telugu hamlet, winning the Jury Special Mention at the 53rd IFFI.

Spread to World markets

'' Athadu'' was released with 6 prints in

and was distributed by Vishnu Mudda and Soma Kancherla of Crown DVD distribution company in San Jose,

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with list of lakes in Minneapolis, thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. ...

, Phoenix at Arizona and also in centers like Lowell at Massachusetts, MA, Tulsa at Oklahoma,

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...

, Springfield, Boulder at Colorado and Corpus Christi at South Texas. Because of the demand, another print was imported from India for screening. The film's first screening in USA happened at Cine Plaza 13 at North Bergen on the night of 11 August 2005. At

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

, a special screening was conducted on 19 August 2005. Initially one show was planned but because of the demand another show was screened. There at the theater, a turn out of 442 people was observed which included standing audience for 434 seats and about 60 could not be accommodated. Apart from USA, the film released in selected screens in United Kingdom,

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

, Germany and Australia. '' Bommarillu'' was released worldwide with 72 prints. Owing to its success, the number of reels grew to about hundred. It collected a distributors share of 5 crore in its opening week in India. Released in six major metros in the United States, the film collected $73,200 (then approximately 0.3 crore) within the first four days of screening. A 2006 survey conducted by a popular entertainment portal in the United States revealed that the film was watched by an Indian

expatriate An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. In common usage, the term often refers to educated professionals, skilled workers, or artists taking positions outside their home country, either ...

population of 65,000, which generated a revenue of 3 crore at that time. A cumulative gross revenue for the film was reported to be as 25 crore including 3.5 crore from overseas, the largest for any Telugu film at that time. Owing to this path breaking trade, the film was remade into Tamil, Bengali, Oriya and Urdu/

. 2006 action film, '' Pokiri'' has been remade in Hindi, Tamil and Kannada in the following two years owing to the film's commercial success. It was screened at the IIFA film festival held in Dubai in 2006. Walt Disney Pictures co-produced '' Anaganaga O Dheerudu'', making it the first South Indian production by Disney. '' Dookudu'' was released among seventy nine screens in the United States, the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...

'' quoted it as ''The biggest hit you've never heard of.'' In the rest of north, east and west India, it opened up in 21 cities. The film set a box office record by collecting a gross of more than 1 billion at the time. On 1 June 2022, '' RRR'' was screened in over 100 theatres across the United States for a one night event called "''#encoRRRe''". Speaking to ''

Deadline Hollywood ''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. The site is updated several times a day, w ...

'', Dylan Marchetti of

Variance Films Variance Films is a privately held film distribution company founded in 2008 that uses an innovative model of self-distribution combined with select elements of traditional theatrical distribution to allow filmmakers to achieve quality theatrical ...

said that "With more than 250 films coming out of India annually, ''RRR'' could be a gateway drug". '' Nashville Scene''s Jason Shawhan wrote about the event that "the nationwide encore of ''RRR'' is American audiences reaching with outstretched arms to something so exciting and rock-solid entertaining that its success already happened without insular traditional media even mentioning it. This isn't America dipping a toe in Indian cinema — it's a victory lap". Filmmaker S. S. Rajamouli has been signed by American talent agency Creative Artists Agency, owing to RRR being the only non-English-language film to trend globally on Netflix Platform for 10 consecutive weeks.

Cast and crew

V. Nagayya was one of the most influential method actors of Indian cinema during crown rule. Vemuri Gaggaiah, Kalyanam Raghuramaiah,

R. Nageswara Rao Rajanala Nageswara Rao ( te, రాజనాల నాగేశ్వరరావు) (1928–1959) was an Indian actor known for his works in Telugu cinema, and was one of the lead actors of his time. He is best known for his works in award-wi ...

C.S.R. Anjaneyulu Chilakalapudi Seeta Rama Anjaneyulu (11 July 1907 – 8 October 1963), popularly known as C. S. R., was an Indian method acting, method actor, and thespian best known for his works in Telugu cinema, and Telugu theater. He acted in many stage dra ...

, Yadavalli Suryanarayana, C. H. Narayana Rao, Mudigonda Lingamurthy etc., are some of the finest method actors during the golden era. S. V. Ranga Rao won Best Actor Award for his portrayal of Kichaka in Nartanasala at the third Afro-Asian Film Festival held in Jakarta. Adurthi Subba Rao, garnered seven National Film Awards, for his pioneering work on

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

and Pattabhirama Reddy have garnered international recognition for their works in neo-realistic cinema. A. Kutumba Rao is known for directing childrens films such as '' Bhadram Koduko'', ''Thodu'', and ''Paatha Nagaramlo Pasivadu'' the latter winning Cairo International Film Festival's, Merit Certificate for best feature. Jandhyala, and Trivikram Srinivas are known for screwball comedy, and action comedy. A. Sreekar Prasad garnered pan-India recognition for film editing across multiple languages. Krishna Ghattamaneni is credited with producing many technological firsts such as the first cinemascope film

Alluri Seetarama Raju Alluri Sitarama Raju (4 July 1897 or 1898 – 7 May 1924) was an Indian revolutionary, who waged an armed campaign against the British colonial rule in India. Born in present-day Andhra Pradesh, he was involved in opposing the British in re ...

, first 70mm film '' Simhasanam'', first DTS film ''Telugu Veera Levara'' (1988) and introducing cowboy and bond movie styles to the Telugu screen. Sharada, Archana, Vijayashanti, Rohini, Keerthy Suresh, P. L. Narayana, and

Nagarjuna Nāgārjuna . 150 – c. 250 CE (disputed)was an Indian Mahāyāna Buddhist thinker, scholar-saint and philosopher. He is widely considered one of the most important Buddhist philosophers.Garfield, Jay L. (1995), ''The Fundamental Wisdom of ...

received the National Film Award for acting.

, was listed among "The men who changed the face of the Indian Cinema" by IBN-live India. Brahmanandam, holds a Guinness World Record for acting in the most films in the same language. Vijayachander acted and produced hagiographical films, he esaayed " Jesus of Nazareth" in '' Karunamayudu'' (1978), " Sai Baba of Shirdi" in ''

Sri Shirdi Saibaba Mahathyam ''Sri Shirdi Saibaba Mahathyam'' is a 1986 Telugu-language musical biograhical film written and directed by K. Vasu, based on the life of Shirdi Sai Baba, who has preached and practiced Religious humanism. Vijayachander portrayed the role of ...

'' (1986), " Vemana" in ''Vemana Charithra'' (1986), and "

Saint Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

" in ''Dayamayudu'' (1987). Mohan Babu is starred in more than 500 feature films in a variety of antagonist roles.

Cinematography and visual effects

V. N. Reddy Venkata Narasimha Reddy, professionally known as V. N. Reddy (20 November 1914 – 29 December 1991), was an Indian cinematographer and director who predominantly worked in Hindi and Telugu films for over thirty years starting from 1943. One of th ...

K. S. Prasad K. S. Prasad was an Indian cinematographer, editor, production designer, producer, and director known for his works in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Hindi language films. He received the National Film Award for Best Cinematography (color) for the ...

, Jaya Gummadi, Sudhakar Yakkanti, and C. Rajendra Prasad garnered pan India recognition for their cinematographic works. Enhanced technology among live action animation, digital compositing, and special effects paved the way for upgrading from established cinematic norms. Visual effects based high fantasy works have tasted success. Pete Draper, P. C. Sanath, Chakri Toleti and V. Srinivas Mohan supervise visual effects.

Film critics and jury members

Vasiraju Prakasam and

are one of the noted Indian film critics from the state.

B. S. Narayana B. S. Narayana is an Indian film, director known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema. He has garnered two National Film Awards & two Nandi Awards. He was a member of the Indian delegation to the ''Tashkent Film Festival'' in 1974, and t ...

was a member of the Indian delegation to the ''Tashkent Film Festival'' in 1974, and the ''Moscow International Film Festival'' in 1975.

Gummadi Gummadi (Telugu: గుమ్మడి) is an Indian given name and surname. It may refer to: * Gummadi (actor) (1927–2010), Telugu film actor * Gummadi Vittal Rao (born 1949), revolutionary Telugu balladeer and vocal Naxalite * Jaya Krishna Gumm ...

, served as official member of the Indian delegation from South India to the ''Tashkent Film Festival'' in 1978 and 1982. He served as the Jury Member thrice for the

28th 28 (twenty-eight) is the natural number following 27 and preceding 29. In mathematics It is a composite number, its proper divisors being 1, 2, 4, 7, and 14. Twenty-eight is the second perfect number - it is the sum of its proper diviso ...

, 33rd, and

39th National Film Awards The 39th National Film Awards, presented by Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India to felicitate the best of Indian Cinema released in the year 1991. Ceremony took place in 1 ...

. Chandra Siddhartha served in South Jury at the 57th, 61st and 65th National Film Awards, as well as the 49th IFFI.

Film Score

Singer Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubramanyam

Sri Sri was one of the influential film lyricists of his time, who garnered national honors such as Sahitya Akademi Award, Best Lyricist and Soviet Land Nehru Award for his pioneering work. Susarla Dakshinamurthi, Parupalli Ramakrishnaiah Pantulu, Ogirala Ramachandra Rao, Pithapuram Nageswara Rao, Tanguturi Suryakumari, and Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna are some of the influential music composers of Southern Indian cinema. Music composers such as Pendyala Nageswara Rao, R. Sudarshanam and R. Goverdhanam made contributions to folklore and mythological films.

Madhavapeddi Satyam Madhavapeddi Satyam (11 March 1922 – 18 December 2000) was an Indian playback singer and actor who predominantly worked in Telugu cinema. He entered films as a singer-actor in Y. V. Rao's Tamil-Hindi bilingual movie ''Ramadas'' in the year ...

, P. Adinarayana Rao,

Gali Penchala Narasimha Rao Gali Penchala Narasimha Rao ( te, గాలి పెంచల నరసింహారావు) (1903–1964), also known as Gali Penchalayya, was an Indian film music composer. He was a representative of the first generation of music directors ...

, Chellapilla Satyam, P. B. Sreenivas, S. P. Kodandapani, G. K. Venkatesh,

S. Hanumantha Rao Saluri Hanumantha Rao (1917–1980) (Telugu: సాలూరు హనుమంతరావు) was a music composer of South Indian films. He is son of Saluri Sanyasi Raju who was a mridangam player for the concerts of Dwaram Venkataswami Naidu ...

, have contributed their work extensively for films containing themes of social relevance.

S.P. Balasubrahmanyam Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam (4 June 1946 – 25 September 2020), also referred to as SPB or SP Balu or Balu, was an Indian playback singer, television presenter, actor, music composer, dubbing artist, and film producer. He is wid ...

is a multilingual playback singer from Telugu cinema to win National Film Awards across four languages. He holds the record of having recorded more songs than any other male playback singer and has received 25 state

Nandi Awards The Nandi Awards are the awards that recognise the excellence in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre and Telugu television, and Lifetime achievements in Indian cinema. Presented annually by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the award is named af ...

S. Rajeswara Rao Saluri Rajeswara Rao (11 October 1922 – 25 October 1999) was an Indian composer, multi instrumentalist, conductor, singer, and music producer known for his works predominantly in South Indian cinema.M. L. Narasimham"Trend-setter in Light Music ...

pioneered the use of light music in

cinema; Rao's most rewarding assignments came from Gemini Studios, which he joined in 1940 and with which he remained for a decade.

Ghantasala Ghantasala may refer to: People * Ghantasala (musician) (Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao, 1922-1974), Telugu singer and composer * Ghantasala Balaramayya (1906 - after 1952), Telugu film producer and director * Ghantasala Sai Srinivas, professionally ...

, performed in the

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

, and

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

. According to ''The Hindu'', and ''The Indian Express'' he was "Such a divine talent and with his songs he could move the hearts of the people. Ghantasala's blending of classical improvisations to the art of light music combined with his virtuosity and sensitivity puts him a class apart, above all others in the field of playback singing". P. Susheela, has been recognized by both the '' Guinness Book of World Records'' and the ''Asia Book of Records'' for singing most songs in Indian languages. She is also the recipient of five National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer and numerous state awards. Works by S. Janaki,

M. M. Keeravani Koduri Marakathamani Keeravani (born 4 July 1961; credited as M. M. Keeravani) is an Indian film composer, playback singer, and lyricist, who predominantly works in Telugu cinema along with other languages including Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, and Ma ...

, and Ramesh Naidu have received national recognition. K. S. Chitra has received highest Nandi awards for best female playback singer. Multi-instrumentalists duo Raj–Koti holds a notable career spanning a decade, the duo has garnered particular acclaim for redefining contemporary music. R. P. Patnaik is the current president of the Telugu Cine Music Association.

Nandi Awards

The

is the most prominent government funded award ceremony for excellence in the production of Telugu film, theatre and television. It is presented annually at Lalitha Kala Thoranam in

previously, by the Film, Television and Theatre Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh. "Nandi" means "bull", the awards being named after the big granite bull at Lepakshi — a cultural and historical symbol of the Telugu culture.

Guinness records

* Guinness Record had been awarded to Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad as the largest film studio complex in the world, it opened in 1996 and measures 674 hectares (1,666 acres). With 47 sound stages, it has permanent sets ranging from railway stations to temples. * D.Rama Naidu holds the Guinness World Record as the most prolific producer with 130 films. * Dasari Narayana Rao holds the Guinness World Record as the most films directed with 151 films. * Brahmanandam holds the Guinness World Record for acting in the most films in a single language, 1000+ films. * S. P. Balasubrahmanyam holds the Guinness World Record for having sung the most songs for any male playback singer in the world, with the majority of his songs sung in Telugu. * In 2002, the Guinness Book of Records named Vijaya Nirmala as the female director with the most films, having made 47 films. In a career spanning approximately two decades, she has acted in over 200 films with 25 each in Malayalam and Tamil and produced 15 films. * In 2016, P. Susheela entered the Guinness Book of World Records for recording the highest number of songs in musical history.

Dubbed films

The 1949 film ''

Keelu Gurram ''Keelu Gurram'' () is a 1949 Indian Telugu-language swashbuckler film produced and directed by Raja Saheb of Mirzapuram under the Sobhanachala Pictures banner. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Anjali Devi, with music composed by Ghantasala ...

'' was the first Telugu film to be dubbed into the Tamil language, being subsequently released under the name ''Maya Kudhirai''. According to the Andhra Pradesh Film Chamber of Commerce, "as per the Judgement of Supreme Court in Ashirwad Films in W.P.(Civil) No.709 there will be no difference in taxation of films between the dubbed films coming in from other states and the films produced in the Telugu States". ''Aarya'' movie was later dubbed to Malayalam.

Distribution

The Telugu-speaking areas are broadly divided into three areas for the purposes of Film Distribution, namely, Nizam, Ceded and Andhra. Nizam alone contributes to nearly 45% of the revenue.

Telugu film distribution territories

Apart from the above, there is also an emerging Overseas territory, especially

which accounts for a significant amount of revenue.

Awards

National Film Award for Best Feature Film Recipients Dadasaheb Phalke awardees State awards *

* Raghupathi Venkaiah Award * NTR National Award * B. N. Reddy National Award * S. V. Ranga Rao Award for Best Character Actor * Akkineni Award for Best Home-viewing Feature Film * Nagi Reddy Chakrapani National Award Other major film awards * Filmfare Awards South * IIFA Utsavam * South Indian International Movie Awards Regional awards * Sangam Academy Award * Chittoor Nagayya Puraskaram * CineMAA Awards * Allu Rama Lingaiah Award * Gollapudi Srinivas Award * B. Nagi Reddy Wholesome Entertainment Film * Tollywood GAAMA Awards * Gemini Ugadi Puraskaralu * Hyderabad Times Film Awards * Vamsee Berkely Awards * Akruti Film Awards *

FNCC Awards The FNCC Awards is an Awards Ceremony in Hyderabad, India. Film Nagar Cultural Center presents the Telugu cinema awards. Since then, it has gained substantial popularity as an awards ceremony to the Telugu film industry. Film Nagar Cultural Cente ...

* Andhra Pradesh Film Journalist's Association Awards * Santosham Film Awards * T. Subbarami Reddy Award * ANR National Award *

Sakshi Excellence Awards Sakshi () is an Indian Telugu-language media group. The group owns the daily newspaper '' Sakshi'', 24-hour news channel Sakshi TV, and associated digital ventures. Its first asset, ''Sakshi'' newspaper, was launched on 23 March 2008 by Jagati Pu ...

Studios

Major Filmmaking studios * Ramanaidu Studios *

Saradhi Studios Sri Sarathi Studios is a film studio facility located in Hyderabad, India. It was established in 1956 and was the first film studio facility built in Hyderabad. It was built by the Raja of Challapalli, Yarlagadda Sivarama Prasad. The first fil ...

* Ramakrishna Studios * Padmalaya Studios * Annapurna Studios * Ramoji Film City Visual effects and animation studios *

Prasad EFX Prasad Studios & Prasad Film Labs are motion picture post-production studios headquartered in Hyderabad, India, founded by Prasad Group in 1956. The production house has produced over 150 movies in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hi ...

– Magic in motion * Pixelloid Studios * Fire Fly Creative Studios * Makuta VFX

Notes

References

External links

{{World cinema Telugu cinema Telugu film families Economy of Andhra Pradesh Economy of Telangana Culture of Andhra Pradesh Culture of Telangana Telugu language Film production districts