Early development , father of Telugu cinema. Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu was a
photographer and photographic studio owner in
Madras who was drawn into
filmmaking. Since 1909, he was involved in producing
short films. In , he established Gaiety Theatre on
Mount Road, the first ever permanent cinema theatre in Madras and all of
South India. He later constructed the Crown Theatre and Globe Theatre. In 1919, he started a film
production company called 'Star of the East Films' also called 'Glass Studio', the first production company established by a Telugu person. He sent his son,
Raghupathi Surya Prakash to study filmmaking in the studios of
England,
Germany, and
United States.
C. Pullayya made a three-
reel short film,
Markandeya (1926 or 1931) at his house in
Kakinada. The film had an all-Telugu starcast featuring Sindhoori Krishna Rao as the titular
Prahlada, Munipalle Subbayya as
Hiranyakasyapa, and
Surabhi Kamalabai as Leelavathy.
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 1932,
Sagar Movietone produced
Sri Rama Paduka Pattabhishekam and
Sakunthala, both directed by
Sarvottam Badami. Neither the producer nor the director of these two films were Telugus. In 1933,
Sati Savitri directed by
C. Pullayya received an honorary diploma at the
2nd Venice Film Festival.
Dasari Kotiratnam produced
Sati Anasuya in 1935 and became the first female producer of Telugu film industry. The first film studio in
Andhra, Durga Cinetone, was built in 1936 by Nidamarthi Surayya in
Rajahmundry.
Sampurna Ramayanam (1936) was the first film produced by the studio relying mostly on local talent.
Emergence of social themes By 1936, the mass appeal of film allowed directors to move away from religious and mythological themes. 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 success of these films gave an impetus to
Y. V. Rao,
B. N. Reddy and others to produce films on social themes. The outbreak of
World War II and the subsequent resource scarcity caused the
British Raj 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
Sri Seeta Rama Jananam (1944) under his home production, Prathiba Picture, marking
Akkineni Nageswara Rao's debut in a lead role.
The golden age The 1950s and 1960s are often regarded as the golden age of Telugu cinema. This era witnessed significant advances in production quality, the establishment of iconic studios, and the rise of influential filmmakers who shaped the industry. Prominent production houses such as
Vijaya Productions,
Vauhini Studios,
Bharani Pictures,
Prasad Art Pictures, and
Annapurna Pictures were established during the late 1940s and 1950s. These studios played a crucial role in the development of Telugu cinema, contributing to the production of over 300 films between 1950 and 1960. Many Telugu-Tamil bilinguals were made during this period. During this era, the Telugu film industry became one of the largest producers of
folklore,
fantasy, and
mythological films. Directors like
K. V. Reddy and
B. Vittalacharya pioneered these genres, creating films that captivated audiences with their imaginative storytelling. As demand for films grew, filmmakers recognised the potential to remake earlier productions with enhanced cinematic techniques. Many mythological films originally made in the early talkie era, which featured actors from drama troupes and were limited by the technical constraints of the time, were reimagined in this era with improved technologies. This period also continued the trend of social films, which began in the late 1930s, focusing on contemporary issues and everyday life rather than mythology and fantasy. Notable social films from the decade included
Pelli Chesi Choodu (1952),
Puttillu (1953),
Devadasu (1953),
Pedda Manushulu (1954),
Missamma (1955),
Ardhangi (1955),
Rojulu Marayi (1955),
Donga Ramudu (1955), and
Thodi Kodallu (1957), many of which performed well at the box office.
Nartanasala (1963) won three awards at the third
Afro-Asian Film Festival in
Jakarta. K. V. Reddy's
Donga Ramudu (1955) was archived in the curriculum of the
Film and Television Institute of India, and
Nammina Bantu (1960) received critical acclaim at the
San Sebastián International Film Festival. Films like
Ummadi Kutumbam (1967),
Sudigundalu (1968), and
Bapu's
Sakshi (1967) were showcased at various international film festivals, highlighting the global reach of Telugu cinema. Vijaya Productions, led by
Nagi Reddi and
Chakrapani, became the most successful production company of the era. Their collaborative approach brought together some of the best talents in the industry, resulting in a string of hits that defined the golden age of Telugu cinema. Vijaya Productions operated like a
Hollywood studio, with staff hired on monthly salaries, and working regular hours.The Telugu film industry, commonly known as Tollywood, traces its origins to the early 20th century in
Madras (now Chennai), which was the capital of the
Madras Presidency, a region that included Andhra. Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu, often regarded as the father of the Telugu film industry, was a pioneering figure who established Star of the East Films and the Glass Studio. The industry initially flourished in Madras, with major studios such as
Vauhini Studios, founded by
Moola Narayana Swamy and
B. N. Reddy in 1948, and Prasad Studios, established by
L. V. Prasad in 1956. The shift from Madras to
Hyderabad began in the 1950s, largely influenced by the formation of
Andhra Pradesh in 1956.
Sarathi Studios was established in Hyderabad in 1956, marking the beginning of this transition. In response,
Yarlagadda Sivarama Prasad, the
Raja of
Challapalli, who produced
Rojulu Marayi, acquired land in Hyderabad in March 1956 to set up a studio. In 1959,
Maa Inti Mahalakshmi, the first Telugu film entirely filmed in Hyderabad, was released.
Akkineni Nageswara Rao was one of the first prominent figures to move his film business entirely to Hyderabad, encouraging others to do the same and playing a crucial role in the industry's relocation. He insisted on working in films produced in Andhra Pradesh, except for those made at
Vauhini and Venus Studios in Madras. In 1976, the Andhra Pradesh government allocated 22 acres of land in
Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, to Akkineni Nageswara Rao for the establishment of a film studio. This led to the founding of
Annapurna Studios in 1976. By the 1970s and 1980s, most production houses had moved to Andhra Pradesh or opened branch offices there. The influence of Telugu cinema extended beyond regional boundaries, with many successful films being remade in other Indian languages. As of 2022, the Telugu film industry produces over 300 films annually, contributing significantly to the region's economy and maintaining a prominent position in Indian cinema. 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 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. 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 theatres, 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 1989 film
Shiva is widely regarded as the trendsetter of Telugu Cinema both in terms of box office performance across languages and technical brilliance. Shiva has inspired many directors like SS Rajamouli, Puri Jagannadh, Sandeep Reddy Vanga, Ashutosh Gowariker, V.V. Vinayak, Sekhar Kammula, Anurag Kashyap, Madhur Bhandarkar, Sriram Raghavan etc. Audience and filmmakers often credit Shiva for changing the course of Indian Cinema forever. Shiva is also one of the very few films in India that is widely being discussed even after three and a half decades of its release. Produced on a shoestring budget, 2000 film
Nuvve Kavali became a turning point for low budget films and has set new benchmarks for Telugu Cinema in the early 2000s. It was screened for 200 days in 20 centres
Thematic diversity and genre innovations K. Viswanath, one of the prominent auteurs of Indian cinema, he received international recognition for his works, and is known for blending
parallel cinema with mainstream cinema. His works such as
Sankarabharanam (1980) about revitalisation of Indian classical music won the "Prize of the Public" at the
Besançon Film Festival of
France in the year 1981.
Forbes included
J. V. Somayajulu's performance in the film on its list of "25 Greatest Acting Performances of Indian Cinema".
Swathi Muthyam (1986) was
India's official entry to the
59th Academy Awards.
Dasari Narayana Rao directed the most number of films in the Telugu language, exploring themes such as aesthetics in
Meghasandesam (1982),
Battle of Bobbili in the biographical war film
Tandra Paparayudu (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 Ramadasu (2006),
Shirdi Sai (2012) and
Om Namo Venkatesaya (2017) receiving various state honours.
Singeetam Srinivasa Rao introduced
science fiction 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
folklore generation of 1500 CE, which including a romantic backstory, the "Time Machine" made it a brilliant work of fiction.
Jandhyala popularly known as "Hasya Brahma" (
Brahma of comedy), ushered a new era of comedy in Telugu cinema, where his movies captivated audiences with their blend of humour and
social commentary. "Before his movies, comedy was a small part of movies and comedians were sidekicks to the hero or villain. Jandhyala proved that comedy can itself be a full-length subject and achieved a great success in this endeavor." His films are well known as clean entertainers affable to the family audiences without any obscene language or
double entendre.
Aha Naa Pellanta! is considered one of the best comedy films in Telugu cinema.
Ram Gopal Varma's
Shiva starring Nagarjuna, 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
Telangana 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.
Shiva resonated with all age groups and attracted a wide audience during its theatrical run, and its success encouraged filmmakers to explore a variety of themes and make experimental Telugu films. Subsequently, Varma introduced a variety of genres with films like
Antham,
Kshana Kshanam, Govinda Govinda, Gaayam, Anaganaga Oka Roju, Deyyam etc. 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. Most of Varma's 90's films are widely considered to have been ahead of their time due to their groundbreaking technical innovations, realistic themes, and disruption of conventional formula films. Varma broke away from the prevalent "song and dance" and "all jolly" themes of the era, introducing gritty crime dramas (the "Mumbai noir" genre), intense psychological thrillers, and intelligent horror films to a wider audience.
Chiranjeevi's works, such as the
comedy-thriller Chantabbai, the
vigilante film Kondaveeti Donga (notable for being released in
70 mm with 6-track
stereophonic sound), the
cowboy film Kodama Simham, and the
action-thriller Gang Leader, contributed to popularising genre films and achieved significant audience footfall. In 2024, he was honoured with the
Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award, for his contributions to the arts and cinema.
Sekhar Kammula debuted with his
National Award-winning film,
Dollar Dreams (2000) featuring dialogue in both Telugu and English.
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 (2012), has garnered the Royal Reel Award at the
Canada International Film Festival. 2013
Social problem film,
Naa Bangaaru Talli won Best Film award at the
Detroit Trinity International Film Festival.
Minugurulu (2014) about blind children received
Best Indian Film at the "9th India International Children's Film Festival
Bangalore". 2013 Cultural film,
O Friend, This Waiting! has received special mention at the
Erasing Borders Festival of Classical Dance,
Indo-American Arts Council, New York, 2013. Experimental 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 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 villainous 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
Telangana 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.
Aithe was remade in Tamil as
Naam (2003) and in Malayalam as
Wanted (2004).
Mohana Krishna Indraganti explored themes of chastity and adultery in his 2004 literary adaptation
Grahanam, based on
Dosha Gunam written by social critic
G. V. Chalam. The film was shot with a digital camera on a modest budget of approximately 8 lakh, with artists and technicians reportedly working without any remuneration. B. Anuradha of
Rediff.com noted, "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. 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 various awards at the
8th Toronto After Dark Film Festival. Sub Genre war drama
Kanche (2015) by
Krish Jagarlamudi explored the 1944 Nazi attack on the Indian army in the
Italian campaign, during
World War II 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.
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 Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on Indian Independence day, 2014.
Adivi Sesh scripted the Neo-noir
Kshanam (2016), based on a real life incident of a missing three-year-old girl. Sesh wrote the
R.A.W. thriller
Goodachari (2018), and the war
docudrama Major (2022) shortly after.
Cinema Bandi (2022) scripted and directed by Praveen Kandregula, and produced by
Raj and D. K., explored the story of how a lost camera inspires dreams in a Telugu village, winning the
Jury Special Mention at the
53rd IFFI.
Balagam (2023), a
slice of life story directed by Venu Yeldandi, was noted by some international juries as one of the best off-beat films of the year. Paul Nicodemus of
The Times of India cited
Prashanth Varma's super-hero film
Hanu Man for merging elements of mythology with contemporary action, and offering a unique viewing experience in Indian cinema.
Rise of pan-Indian cinema at
RRR promotions Pan-Indian film is a term related to
Indian cinema that originated with Telugu cinema as a mainstream commercial cinema appealing to audiences across the country with a spread to world markets.
S. S. Rajamouli pioneered the pan-Indian films movement with duology of epic action films
Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) and
Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017), that changed the face of Indian cinema. "Pan-India film" is both a style of cinema and a distribution strategy, designed to universally appeal to audiences across the country and simultaneously released in multiple languages. Film journalists and analysts, such as
Baradwaj Rangan and Vishal Menon, have labelled
Prabhas as the "first legit Pan-Indian Superstar" in Indian cinema. Actors like Prabhas,
Allu Arjun,
Ram Charan and
N. T. Rama Rao Jr. enjoy a nationwide popularity among the audiences after the release of their respective Pan-Indian films.
RRR propelled Telugu cinema into the mainstream outside India, fuelling the growth of Pan-India movies. It received universal critical acclaim for its direction, screenwriting, cast performances, cinematography, soundtrack, action sequences and
VFX. The film was considered one of the ten best films of the year by the
National Board of Review, making it only the seventh non-English language film ever to make it to the list. The song "
Naatu Naatu" won the Oscar for
Best Original Song at the
95th Academy Awards, making it the first song from an Indian film, as well as the first from an Asian film, to win in this category. This made the film the first
Indian film by an Indian production to win an Academy Award. Srivatsan S of
The Hindu wrote that Telugu cinema has excelled in marketing Pan-Indian films. It primarily employed two strategies – promoting the film outside their home territory and collaborating with other regional stars for more visibility. Following the international success of
Pushpa: The Rise (2021),
RRR (2022),
Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire (2023). Rahul Devulapalli of
The Week identified "Content, marketing, and indulgent overseas audience" have led to the rise of world cinema in Telugu language.
The Guardian cited
Kalki 2898 AD as a "maximalist sci-fi epic mixing
Mahabharata with
Mad Max".
Pushpa 2: The Rule is another notable pan-Indian film and has set multiple box office records, including becoming the highest-grossing film in Hindi.
Expanding global distribution Athadu was released with six prints in
United States and was distributed by Vishnu Mudda and Soma Kancherla of Crown DVD distribution company in
San Jose,
Dallas,
Detroit,
Virginia,
New Jersey,
Atlanta,
Chicago,
Los Angeles,
Boston,
Minneapolis,
Phoenix at Arizona and also in centers like
Lowell at Massachusetts,
MA,
Tulsa at Oklahoma,
West Virginia,
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, 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 theatre, 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, Germany and Australia. It collected a distributors share of 5 crore in its opening week in India. A cumulative gross revenue for the film was reported to be 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/
Hindi. 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 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 100 crore 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, Dylan Marchetti of
Variance Films said that "With more than 250 films coming out of India annually,
RRR could be a gateway drug".
Nashville Scenes 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 ==