The South Indian film industry has endeared itself to its viewers with an endless list of poignant stories, unforgettable characters, and mega hits. Be it a family drama, social commentary, or a pure action film, the kind of cinema that Tollywood has given us always leaves an intriguing mark.
Are you on the lookout for the best Telugu movies of all time? This timeless list is sure to take you through the road of fond memories and put you on an exhilarating journey!
[1 Atharintiki Daaredi
Cast: Pawan Kalyan, Samantha, Praneetha, Boman Irani
Director: Trivikram Srinivas
Release Date: 27 September 2013
Plot
Ragunandan (Boman Irani) is a multi-billionaire. Gowtam Nandan (Pawan Kalyan) is his grandson. Raghunandan disowns his daughter Sunanda because she marries a man of her choice. Raghunandan and Sunanda have not been in contact with each other for several decades. After becoming aged, Raghunandam, who is plagued by guilt in his mind, asks Gowtam to bring his daughter and take her back with him.
The rest of the story holds details about how Gowtam convinces his aunt and fulfils the wish of his grandfather.
[2] Athadu
Cast: Mahesh Babu, Trisha, Prakash Raj, Sonu Sood
Director: Trivikram Srinivas
Release Date: 10 August, 2005
Plot
Nandu (Mahesh Babu), an orphan, is a professional hitman in the city. He conducts his business with the help of his friend (Sonu Sood). In the middle of one of these missions, he draws the attention of the police. While escaping from the crime scene, he unwittingly causes the death of a stranger named Pardhoo (Rajiv Kanakala).
Nandu adopts the name of Pardhoo and joins his family in a rural village to avoid the police. The remaining portion of the story revolves around how Nandu wipes away all the woes.
[3] Eega
Cast: Nani, Sudeep, Samantha
Director: S. S. Rajamouli
Release Date: 6 July 2012
Plot
Bindu (Samantha) is great at micro art. Her charity organisation sustains itself only by donations. Nani (Nani) is a kind guy who lives in the same area as Bindu. He has been following Bindu for the last two years. Sudeep is a huge businessman who falls for Bindu when she comes to his place for a donation. When Sudeep comes to know that Bindu likes Nani, he kills Nani.
The rest of the movie revolves around how Nani is reborn as Eega (housefly) and seeks revenge from Sudeep.
[4] Vedam
Cast: Allu Arjun, Anushka, Nagayya, Manoj Bajpai,
Director: Krish Jagarlamudi
Release date: 4 June 2010.
Plot
From different backgrounds and leading different lives, five strangers set off for Hyderabad and are brought together by a common dream that can alter their lives completely. Chakravarthy (Manoj Manchu) pursues music. Ramulu is in search of money. There’s also Saroja (Anushka), a prostitute in a brothel, in search of liberty and freedom.
Cable Raju (Allu Arjun) does anything for the attention of his rich girlfriend. The fates of the characters are intertwined in a single night in the city as their paths link during the celebration of New Year’s Eve.
Conclusion
These legendary films are more than just commercial successes; they are benchmarks for emotional experiences that every fan of the Telugu film industry holds dear. Every film on this list comes with a special appeal that speaks volumes and yet still manages to connect the way it did with the audience, even many years ago, irrespective of how many films have touched your life since then.
If you want to experience the magic of the best Telugu movies, start with these works that have been immortalised as masterpieces.