A glance at 2025 shows that the story for Telugu cinema is not very different from that of the previous year. The industry produced more than 200 films of which only a handful managed to impress at the box office. With a few films, including Champion, Dhandora, Eesha, Shambala and Patang scheduled to arrive on Christmas, here is a recap of the year.
The roaring response to Sankranthiki Vasthunamin mid January 2025 indicated that the audience craved a hearty laugh after an overdose of action dramas. Viewed through a critical lens, its story and a few gags may appear lame. However, writer-director Anil Ravipudi proved yet again that he knew the audiences’ pulse. His streak of success in collaboration with actor Venkatesh Daggubati continued.
Venkatesh Daggubati and Aishwarya Rajesh in ‘Sankranthiki Vasthunam’
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New voices
Some of 2025’s memorable films came from newer directors. Court, written by debut director Ram Jagadeesh, opted for simple storytelling. Within the familiar arc of an underdog tale, of a junior lawyer standing up for what is right, the courtroom drama discussed the ramifications of a powerful law like POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) being misused by a person of wealth and influence.
Ram did extensive research to fictionalise the story which is based on true events. Priyadarshi’s sincere turn as a lawyer, actors Harsh Roshan and Sridevi as the teens caught in the crossroads of class and caste, and Vijai Bulganin’s music, with the marketing push by actor-producer Nani helped the film soar. The surprise factor was the second coming of actor Sivaji as a controlling patriarch who needed to be shown his place.
Harsh Roshan and Sridevi; Priyadarshi in ‘Court’
Debut director Sailu Kampati’s Raju Weds Rambai, produced by Venu Udugula and Rahul Mopidevi, based on true incidents in rural Telangana, found its audiences thanks to word-of-mouth publicity.
Director Koushik Pegallapalli’s horror thriller Kishkindapuri, starring Anupama Parameswaran and Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas, and K-Ramp starring Kiran Abbavaram also found acceptance.
Among the films that gained traction through organic buzz, Sunny Sanjay’s Anaganagais worth a mention. Emotionally in a zone similar to Jersey (2019), Anaganaga featured Sumanth as a teacher who believes in the power of storytelling. A quiet, heartwarming film backed by ETV Win.
Little hearts, big win
A clear winner of 2025 was director Sai Marthand’s Little Hearts, produced by Aditya Hassan who spearheaded the ETV Win web series 90s: A Middle Class Biopic. For anyone who might have wondered if Mouli Tanuj Prasanth, the endearing social media content creator, can pull off a theatrical hit, Little Hearts proved that the audience will welcome relatable stories. Sinjith Yerramilli’s music was the icing on the cake.
Made with a budget of around ₹2 crore, the film starring Mouli and Shivani Nagaram, earned more than ₹35 crore. It catered to the 15 to 25 age group that still frequents cinema halls, as well as their parents. When families can share a good laugh, seeing some of their quirks on screen, a film is bound to be a winner.
Rohan Roy, Thiruveer and Teena Sravya in ‘The Great Pre-Wedding Show’
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The other comedies that worked include the sequel, MAD Square, The Great Pre-Wedding Showby director Rahul Srinivas, starring Thiruveer and Teena Sravya, capturing rural life in Andhra Pradesh with sharp wit, director Caarthick Raju’s Singlestarring Sree Vishnu, and Gurram Paapi Reddydirected by Murali Manohar, fashioned on the lines of Jathi Ratnalu, with an ensemble cast that includes Brahmanandam who, plays a judge punishing crooks for being foolish enough to get caught for petty crimes.
All the action
Nani in ‘HIT 3’; Pawan Kalyan in ‘They Call Him OG’
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The success of comedies did not mean action entertainers were forgotten. The favourable opening weekend reception for They Call Him OG, HIT: The Third Case, and Kingdom, showed that star power and action dramas are still a draw.
However, there is a catch. Several films that attracted the audiences initially, witnessed a drop in footfalls if the storytelling was not rivetting.
Director Sailesh Kolanu’s HIT 3 headlined by Nani, and director Chandoo Mondeti’s Thandel featuring Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi, were victims of movie piracy, though they brought some cheer to the box office.
The arrest of a few movie piracy masterminds made headlines this year, but tackling the problem requires sustained efforts.
Among the big budget films, director Shekhar Kammula’s social drama Kuberaa, starring Dhanush, Nagarjuna Akkineni and Rashmika Mandanna, stood out for exploring a story of wealth disparity, greed and exploitation.
Devotional themes
Teja Sajja in a still from Mirai
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Stories inspired by Indian epics continued to capture attention. Again, unless the storytelling was engaging enough, the films withered on the vine. Director Kartik Ghattameni’s Miraimade a mark for its storyline and cutting edge visual effects within a modest budget.
The surprise winner in this segment was the animation film Mahavatar Narasimha. Reportedly made with a budget of around ₹40 crore, the film collected over ₹300 crores.
Antithesis to alpha male narratives
A significant clutter breaker was director Rahul Ravindran’s The Girlfriend. The layered storytelling showed how childhood experiences shape adult relationships. The characterisations of Vikram (Dheekshith Shetty) and Bhooma (Rashmika Mandanna) may be black and white, but it reflects their childhood experiences and trauma, respectively.
Rashmika Mandanna and Rahul Ravindran on the sets of ‘The Girlfriend’
He thinks it is his right to be served by a woman and she, a product of conditioning, has to find her voice and assert herself. The film was a departure from the alpha-male characters that have been flooding Indian cinema in recent years.
Apart from engaging storytelling and compelling performances, the film owes its success to Geetha Arts’ marketing drive. The Girlfriend dispelled notions that women do not buy tickets and script theatrical successes. Rashmika has been a part of a few ₹1000-crore films, but this film’s success is special.
Director Praveen Kandregula’s horror comedy Subham, produced by Samantha, addressed gender equations through the lens of humour. Praveen also directed Paradha, a folklore-meets-travel tale featuring Anupama Parameswaran, Darshana Rajendran and Sangitha. The film earned its audiences eventually on the digital platform.
Sarangapani Jathakam, Gandhi Thatha Chettu, 23-Iravai Moodu, 8 Vasanthalu, and Kanya Kumari were among the films that had a tough time in theatres but found their audiences on digital platforms.
The trend of re-releasing older blockbusters continued, with the notable ones being Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundariand Shiva. A re-edited, condensed version of the Baahubali films arrived as Baahubali: The Epic.
As 2025 comes to a close, the primary challenge for filmmakers is to draw people away from digital platforms and mobile phone screens to the theatres.
