Telugu cinema in 2024: Successes, failures, and challenges ahead

Did Telugu cinema elevate its stature this year? Or did it decline? Can the reported collections be trusted? What challenges did the Telugu film industry face in 2024? In this article, we explore it all for you.

The big releases of 2024

Starting with films like Guntur Kaaram, Saindhav, and Na Saami Ranga in January, and culminating with the recent blockbuster Pushpa-2, 2024 recorded several major Telugu films. Relying on tried-and-tested success formulas, big-star films released primarily during festive seasons. Rajamouli’s strategy of “promotion always first” proved effective this year too.

However, while some films focused on providing a cinematic experience, few managed to entice audiences to theatres based on the belief in a “good film”. This lack of faith was a major disappointment.

Also read: 'Pushpa 2-The Rule' dislodges 'RRR', 'KGF-2' to become 3rd highest grossing Indian film

Stardom over story

Even actors known for delivering quality content seemed to prioritise star power over strong narratives. Hero-centric films with “one-man-show” scripts failed to bring the average audiences to theatres, even if they appealed to die-hard fans. This marked a failure for Telugu cinema in 2024.

Did Bollywood’s decline benefit Tollywood?

Since 2019, the downturn of Bollywood’s market has benefited Telugu cinema significantly. Audiences rejected remakes and outdated storylines, while the growth of OTT platforms turned national attention towards Telugu films. However, in 2024, even Tollywood faced setbacks similar to Bollywood.

Are fandoms no longer enough?

Hero worship has long been integral to Telugu cinema, making objective assessments of films difficult. However, the rise of social media has brought unfiltered audience opinions to the forefront. Family audiences, rather than fans, now hold the power to determine a film’s success, adding clarity to the industry’s true box-office winners.

Also read: Pushpa 2 review: Stellar Allu Arjun anchors Sukumar’s ambitious, wayward sequel

Types of films released in 2024

Hero-centric films:

Superstars’ films are still mostly written to glorify their personas. Unfortunately, patience and openness among audiences to explore nuanced narratives are lacking. After one or two hits, many actors shift their focus to roles tailored exclusively to their stardom.

Even emerging talents such as Suhas, Sree Vishnu, and Vishwak Sen, once celebrated for prioritising storylines, seemed to follow this trend in 2024. For example:

Vishwak Sen’s brilliant Gaami was followed by mass-market films such as Gangs of Godavari and Mechanic Rocky.

Suhas, who began the year with the remarkable Ambajipeta Marriage Band, later delivered less inspired works such as Prasanna Vadanam and Janaka Ayithe Ganaka.

Veteran Allari Naresh’s attempt to elevate his stardom with Bachalamalli also fell flat.

Established stars such as Ravi Teja and Gopichand delivered two films each this year, neither of which resonated. Even Vijay Deverakonda and Sudheer Babu failed with similar formulas. This year, audiences unequivocally rejected “hero-centric” narratives.

Also read: Will Allu Arjun row force Telugu movie industry to shift base to Andhra?

Big Ticket Films: Kalki, Devara, and Pushpa-2

Some films rely on star-driven narratives and manage short-term box-office success despite weak storytelling.

Kalki 2898 AD benefitted from a multi-starrer formula and decent production, despite lacking a strong script.

Devara, despite being a commercial failure, maintained some interest due to star power and mixed reviews.

Pushpa-2 was an outright disappointment, with overblown heroics and poor storytelling alienating audiences.

Smaller films and their challenges

The year 2024 saw the release of several small films with strong narratives: 35 – Chinna Katha Kadu, Committee Kurrollu, Aye, Music Shop Murthy, Mathu Vadalara-2, and Hanuman.

While films such as 35 – Chinna Katha Kadu and Mathu Vadalara-2 succeeded due to strong promotion, others, such as Music Shop Murthy struggled without sufficient publicity. OTT releases salvaged some of these small films.

Also read: Kalki 2898 review: Big B, not Prabhas, stands out in visually powerful film

The re-release formula

Re-releasing older films of popular stars has become a trend, often to the detriment of smaller films. This year, several re-releases overshadowed new, quality films, limiting their reach.

Audience sentiments

With piracy and rapid OTT releases, audiences now question whether it’s worth visiting theatres unless a film garners extraordinary word-of-mouth publicity.

Challenges for Telugu cinema in 2024

The industry faced several hurdles this year, including predictable storylines, weak screenplays, and the failure to meet the elevated expectations of OTT-savvy audiences.

If not addressed promptly, these issues could lead to audiences abandoning Telugu cinema as they have done with Bollywood.

(This article was originally published in The Federal Telangana.)