When we talk about regional cinema making it big on a pan-India level, the Telugu film industry is the frontrunner. The Baahubali franchise had already held the bar high, which again went a few notches higher with films like RRR and Pushpa: The Rise. These films featured stars were made on a big budget and had a grand release. There are also small-scale films, made on a humble budget, which emerged as commercial hits. Good content helped these films earn profit at the box office.
Geetha Govindam (2018)
The film was initially offered to Allu Arjun, but he rejected it. Vijay Devarakonda then stepped in as the lead. Geetha Govindam’s budget was significantly reduced after Allu Arjun rejected it, as his fee was significantly larger than that of Vijay Devarakonda. Geetha Govindam was directed by Parasuram. It earned Rs 132 crore, and the film was made on a budget of Rs 5 crore. Earlier, Arjun Reddy indirectly paved the way for Vijay Devarakonda to become a bigger star, by rejecting Arjun Reddy.
Karthikeya 2 (2022)
It was the sequel to Karthikeya. Chandoo Mondelli directed this Nikhil Siddhartha-starrer film. Karthikeya was made on a budget of Rs 15 crore, and it earned Rs 121 crore. The mythological appeal and engaging story worked in the film’s favour.
Baby (2023)
Anand Devarakonda, who is yet to attain the stardom of his elder brother Vijay Devarakonda, acted opposite Vaishnavi Chaitanya in this Sai Rajesh Neelam-directorial coming-of-age drama. It was instantly relatable to the youth and earned Rs 90 crore. The film was made against a humble budget of Rs 10 crore.
Uppena (2021)
Sai Dharam Tej’s younger brother Vaishhnav Tej created a big sensation with his first film itself. Along with Kirthi Shetty, he delivered a heartwarming romantic tale under the direction of another debutante Buchi Babu Sana. It was a completely unexpected success, earning close to Rs 100 crore against a budget of just Rs 13 crore.
Sita Ramam (2022)
Hanu Raghavpudi made a pan-India star out of Dulquer Salmaan when he made Sita Raman, which was also Mrinal Thakur’s Telugu debut. Dulquer Salmaan, who acts mostly in Malayalam cinema, dubbed his own voice for all language versions of the film. This Rs 30 crore film earned Rs 90 crore at the box office.
Virupaksha (2023)
Directed by Karthik Dandu, this thriller with horror elements starred Sai Dharam Tej and Samyukta Menon. The film had a budget of Rs 40 crore and was very successful because of its unique storytelling. It earned more than Rs 100 crore.
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