The common thread that connects the 2023 Telugu films Balagam, Dasara, last week’s release Mem Famous and this week’s release Pareshan is the Telangana narrative. Actor-director-writer Venu Yeldandi, who grew up in Sircilla, presented an insider’s perspective of life, death, food and customs in Balagam. Debut director Srikanth Odela, who grew up near the coal mines of Godavarikhani, peppered the revenge drama Dasara with his observations. Debutant Sumanth Prabhas’ Mem Famous was a coming-of-age story of rural Telangana youngsters. Pareshan by debut director Rupak Ronaldson aims to mirror life in a village near Mancherial.
Stories from Telangana witnessed an uptick after the State formation in 2014 and are now a part of mainstream Telugu cinema. Industry insiders say films set in Telangana will thrive alongside the neutral Telugu dialect of Guntur, Vijayawada and Krishna districts that has been the staple of Telugu cinema for long.
“For decades, the Telangana voices were not given a chance barring occasional films by B. Narsing Rao or Dasari Narayana Rao. Later, a few films spoke about the Statehood movement. The State formation gave people a renewed sense of identity; movies, music, books and art specific to the region are witnessing a surge,” says film producer, author and publisher Venkat Siddareddy who worked on Mallesham and Dorasani.
