Telugu cinema 2024: Beyond ‘Kalki 2898 AD‘ and ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’, the surprises and misses

In 2024, Telugu cinema delivered two blockbusters — Kalki 2898 AD and Pushpa 2: The Rule —that crossed the 1000-crore mark at the box office. A few surprises came in the form of small and medium budget films that gave the audiences and the industry reasons to cheer. Despite this, it was a middling year for Telugu cinema. Over several weeks many new releases failed to generate footfalls in theatres. Nearly 250 Telugu films released in theatres of which, only 15 to 20 were box office successes.

The biggies 

Stories from the Mahabharata became a talking point after director Nag Ashwin’s Kalki 2898 AD was released. The sequel is expected to throw more light on the world of the Supreme Yaskin (Kamal Haasan), the redemption of Ashwatthama (Amitabh Bachchan), Karna (Prabhas), and of course, the birth of Kalki.

Director Sukumar’s Pushpa 2: The Rule capitalised on the popularity of the first film, Pushpa: The Rise, for which Allu Arjun bagged the National Award for Best Actor. The sequel was tailor-made for mass cinema-loving audiences and ended, albeit abruptly, with the announcement of Pushpa 3: The Rampage. 

Guntur Kaaram, director Trivikram Srinivas and Mahesh Babu’s collaboration a decade after Khaleja, drew mixed response for its lackadaisical screenplay. 

Sankranti 2024’s surprise winner was director Prasanth Varma’s Hanu-Man. The story of an underdog gaining superpowers from lord Hanuman made for an entertaining film. In the age of marketing hype and increased ticket prices driving the box office, Hanu-Man was a reminder that a film will have wide acceptance if it strikes a chord with the audiences.

Director Koratala Siva and Jr. NTR’s Devara — their second collaboration after Janatha Garage — tried to capture the nationwide box office, following the actor’s increased popularity post-RRR. The overstretched action drama ended with the announcement of a sequel. 

Sequel fatigue

In the post-Baahubali era, as more big-budget films vie for their share of large box office pies, there has been an increase in larger-than-life stories that involve meticulous world-building, numerous characters and subplots designed with the scope for franchises. Post-release posters may boast several hundred crore box office collections, but that audiences are getting weary of sequels is undeniable. 

Fun sequels 

Siddhu Jonnalagadda in ‘Tillu Square’

Two sequels that were runaway hits were the comedies Tillu Square and Mathu Vadalara 2. Actor-writer Siddhu Jonnalagadda’s Tillu Square, directed by Mallik Ram, smartly tapped into the audience’s familiarity of the first film. The collective cheer in the halls ensured that Tillu was not a one-time wonder. Director Ritesh Rana’s comic thriller Mathu Vadalara 2 was helped hugely by the inimitable Satya delivering some of the wittiest lines this year. As he says, ‘don’t book a judge by its cover!’ 

Summer woes

In pre-pandemic years, summer holidays were synonymous with star-studded releases that could draw audiences in large numbers, to theatres. In contrast, summer 2024 nearly drew a blank. The absence of films starring A-listers could have worked as opportunity for small and medium-budget films, but most summer releases barely generated interest. The IPL cricket matches and elections were cited as reasons for a few postponements. Several single screen theatres in Telangana closed for a fortnight citing dwindling footfalls.

The new order

Nivetha Thomas and Vishwadev in ‘35: Chinna Katha Kaadu’

Debut filmmakers made a mark with compelling storylines. Nanda Kishore Emani’s family drama 35: Chinna Katha Kaadu, Yadhu Vamsi’s nostalgic story of friendships Committee Kurrollu that touched upon caste systems, Sujith and Sandeep’s thriller drama KA and Vidyadhar Kagita’s soul-searching journey Gaami are a few examples. Dushyanth Katikaneni’s Ambajipeta Marriage Band, Anji Maniputra’s Aay, Ajay Nag’s Aarambham, Neelagiri Mamilla’s Peka Medalu and Anurag Palutla’s Veeranjaneyulu Vihara Yatra also deserve a mention.

Genre game 

Dulquer Salmaan in ‘Lucky Baskhar’

Director Venky Atluri’s Lucky Baskhar and Eashvar Karthick’s Zebra presented financial thrillers, a less-explored domain. The former gave Dulquer his third consecutive blockbuster in Telugu while the latter gave Satyadev reason to cheer. 

Action entertainers dominated the narratives among the bigger films. Director Vivek Athreya’s Saripodhaa Sanivaaram, starring Nani and SJ Suryah, veered away from the cliches associated with the genre and delivered rousing moments that were delineated by smart writing. Anger pervaded as a mood rather than gory violence.

Romantic comedies were conspicuous by their absence.

Nani in ‘Saripodhaa Sanivaaram’

Nostalgic settings

Several of this year’s hits such as Committee Kurrollu, KA and Lucky Baskhar opted for a nostalgic setting in the 1980s and 90s. While it worked in favour of these films, Gangs of Godavari, Mr Bachchan and Matka failed to make an impression.

Gender sensitivity

Sree Vishnu in ‘Swag’

Actor Sree Vishnu and writer-director Hasith Goli deserve a pat on their backs for the sensitive portrayal of a transgender character in Swag, a satirical commentary on patriarchal and matriarchal societies. 

In director Sree Harsha Konuganti’s horror comedy Om Bheem Bush which also starred Sree Vishnu, a surprise came in the form of a sensitive romance featuring a transgender artiste, played by dancer Manish Kumar. 

Female perspective

Rashmika Mandanna as Srivalli in ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

The Kajal Aggarwal starrer Satyabhama and Yevam starring Chandini Choudary had stories about a female cop but both did not utilise their complete potential. 

Director Surya Manoj Vangala’s web series Brinda, headlined by a restrained and effective Trisha, was a taut psychological thriller in which a female police officer battles the demons of her past and solves a puzzling crime. 

In 35: Chinna Katha Kaadu, Nivetha Thomas excelled in portraying a homemaker who guides her young son pass an examination, a task that warrants her to rise above her limitations. 

Rashmika Mandanna as Srivalli in Pushpa 2: The Rule asserted herself in the male-dominated story of a smuggling syndicate. Her monologue during the Gangamma jatara sequence proves she can take on author-backed characters. 

Anjali in Gangs of Godavari and the web series Bahishkarana as well as Priyamani in Bhama Kalapam 2 held their own, letting their experience shine through.