Telugu cinema 2025: A dull year, with a few clutter breakers

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 Vasthunam in 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’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement 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 Anaganaga is 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...

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