The Telugu Film Industry is one of the oldest film industries in the country, over its rich history, we have seen a significant transformation of the industry. No longer is it just an underling to Bollywood, The Telugu Film industry is now world-renowned name, and has made its mark known across the world. With the release of films like Dookudu and Baahubali, the Telugu Cinema has gotten a global appeal and now caters to audiences all over the world. We have decided to take a look at the long and rich history of Telugu Cinema, to make a list of the Biggest Super hit movies of their time.
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Mayabazar
Often regarded as one of the best and most influential Telugu films of all time, Mayabazar deserves all the praise that it gets. Despite the limitations of technology, the film was way ahead of its time.
Based on the folk tale Sasirekha Parinayam. The plot revolves around the roles of Krishna and Ghatotkacha and their quest to reunite Arjuna’s son Abhimanyu with his love, Balarama’s daughter Savitri. Mayabazar is a timeless classic and a perfect entertainer for your family.
The film has a fairly simple story, but the best part about the film is that it is appealing to all ages. Releasing on 27th March 1957, Mayabazar was Box Office Blockbuster and went on to have a theatrical run of 100 days in 24 theatres and became a silver jubilee film. It was also the first Telugu film to be digitally remastered and colourised.
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Devadasu
Another all-time classic film, and one of the most famous love stories in the country. Releasing in 1953, Devadasu is a romance film, based on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s novel, Devdas. The film tells the tragic tale of Devadasu and Parvati, who are separated due to unfortunate consequences.
This causes a downward spiral in the life of Devdas, who is not able to cope with the failure, and turns into a drunkard. The film does justice to the source material, and perfectly depicts the fall of Devadasu. The film has gone on to achieve cult status and is still one of the finest, tragic love stories you’ll ever watch.
Devadas released on 26 June 1953, and was one of the most successful films in both Telugu and Tamil Cinema, playing for over 100 days in theatres. The film also marked the turning point in Nageswara Rao’s career and established him as one of the top stars of the industry.
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Pedarayudu
A remake of the 1994 Tamil film Nattamai, Pedarayudu is a drama film directed by Ravi Raja Pinisetty. The film stars Mohan Babu and Rajnikanth in the lead roles. The film tells the story of three brothers, who share a strong bond. The eldest brother Pedarayudu sits on an ancestral throne that is cursed and whoever delivers a wrong verdict dies.
However, things take a drastic turn when the youngest brother is accused of murder. The film was released on 15th June 1995, to no big expectations from the audience, but the film went on to become a blockbuster, thanks to its positive reviews and word of mouth. The film ran in theatres for over 100 days in 40 direct centres and collected a share of Rs.12 crores at the end of its full run, which was incredibly high at the time.
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Maghadheera
Directed by the legendary filmmaker S. S. Rajamouli, Magadheera is a fantasy action film, starring Ram Charan and Kajal Aggarwal in the lead roles. The plot of the film revolves around 4 people who die before fulfilling their wishes, and are now reincarnated into the present day.
The film released on 19 March 2008 to positive reviews, with many critics, praising the film for its storytelling, visual effects, creativity and direction. Made on a budget of 35 Crores, Maghadheera went on to shatter several records at the Box Office.
It was released across 1250 screens worldwide and went on to have a 1000-day theatrical run, thus becoming the longest-running South Indian film. The film did extremely well at the overseas market as well, earning over 150,000 dollars, highest by a Telugu film at the time.
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Baahubali 1& 2
The Baahubali Cinematic franchise played a crucial role in giving the Telugu Film Industry worldwide appeal. The franchise changed the way Telugu films were looked at. No longer were they viewed as just films made in the regional language, they showed the world that Telugu films are right up there with the very best films. Directed by Rajamouli, Baahubali 1 & 2 went on shatter all records, not only in the Telugu Film Industry but in Indian Cinema as well.
Baahubali: The Beginning was the highest-grossing Indian film at the time of its release, and Baahubali: The conclusion went to surpass the high expectations that were set after the release of the first film. The second film went on to gross over 1800 Crores worldwide, making it the second-highest-grossing Indian film, and the highest-grossing film in India.
WATCH BAHUBALI 1 ON DISNEY HOTSTAR
WATCH BAHUBALI 2 ON DISNEY HOTSTAR
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Gabbar Singh
A remake of the Hindi film Dabangg, Gabbar Singh is an action comedy film directed by Harish Shankar. The film stars Pawan Kalyan and Shruti Haasan in the lead roles, as the story revolves around an honest police officer and his mission of taking down a powerful corrupt politician. Releasing on 11th May 2012, Gabbar Singh was an instant blockbuster, the film went on to become one of the highest-grossing Telugu films of all time. The film was released on 2500 screens all around the world and held the records for the highest-grossing weekend and the highest-grossing first week in the Telugu film industry for several years. The film went on to earn over 150 crores during its theatrical run, making it one of the most successful Telugu films ever.
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Dookudu
The film that brought Telugu Cinema worldwide appeal, Dookudu is an action comedy film directed by Srinu Vaitla, featuring Mahesh Babu and Samantha Akkineni in the lead roles. The film tells the story of an undercover cop and his mission of hunting a dreaded mafia don. Releasing on 23 September 2011, Dookudu received positive reviews and was a commercial blockbuster.
The film grossed over 100 crores worldwide during its theatrical run, making it the highest-grossing film at the time. The film was well-received in overseas as well and went on to have a decent run at the overseas Box Office, at a time where many Telugu films struggled at the International market. The film received several accolades, including seven Nandi Awards, six Filmfare Awards, eight SIIMA Awards and eight CineMAA Awards.
Also Read: All-Time Best Love Story Movies In Telugu
