New Delhi: Even in 2023, the variety of genres explored in Telugu films—romance, comedy, family-friendly, thriller, and horror—maintained their allure. In 2023, Telugu cinema had a banner year because of a slew of critically acclaimed films that were shot on shoestring budgets and became sleeper hits. Additionally, there are a few movies whose plots astonished people. In 2023, these 5 Telegu films became unexpectedly huge –
1. Writer Padmabhushan (February 03)
The promos for Writer Padmabhushan, a low-budget family drama, won over audiences. The film follows Padmabhusan, a 25-year-old from Vijayawada who aspires to be a writer and comes from a middle-class family. It stars Suhas, a popular figure on YouTube. They led us on an emotional roller coaster with good intentions, full of harmless fun and gentle feelings.
OTT platform: ZEE5
2. Balagam (March 02)
Balagam, directed by actor-turned-director Venu Yeldnadi, has already garnered more than a hundred accolades from across the world. The Telangana rural setting of Balagam centres on the ripple effects felt by a family and their relationships with one another and the villagers after the unexpected death of the family’s humorous patriarch.
OTT platform: Amazon Prime Video
3. Samajavaragamana (June 29)
Following a string of unsuccessful films, actor Sree Vishnu’s comedic adventure shot him to stardom. The protagonist, who is very bad at studies, keeps his son and his best friend to assist him in passing his examinations. In the middle of budding romance and comedic squabbles, chaos unfolds.
OTT platform: Aha Video
4. Mad (October 06)
The brother-in-law of Jr. NTR makes his cinematic debut in Mad. The plot centres on the mischief-making students at an engineering college, especially the boys who like picking on the dormitory warden. The film was a huge hit with its intended audience and made a little fortune for its creators.
OTT platform: Netflix
5. Maa Oori Polimera 2 (November 03)
After the success of the OTT film Polimera, Maa Oori Polimera 2 followed. Anil Vishwanath’s chilling thriller follows a police officer as he investigates a black magic-stricken town and seeks retribution for his brother’s murder. Despite the lack of A-list actors, the film’s excellent narration and thrilling plot ensured its immediate success.
