6 Telugu movies that dance their way to our hearts

Every year, 29 April is globally celebrated as International Dance Day. We Indians have always been fond of the art form and a number of internationally recognised dancers have emerged from this holy land. Signifying the importance of dance in our culture, a number of movies have been made in the Indian film industry, especially in the Telugu language. Most of these movies have received huge critical acclaim from audiences across the country.

Here is a list of Telugu movies based on dance.

#1 Siri Siri Muvva (1976)

Directed by the legendary filmmaker K Viswanath, the movie stars Jayaprada and Chandra Mohan in lead roles. Siri Siri Muvva was filmed at the Moscow International Film Festival and has also bagged two National Film Awards in the categories of Best Playback Singer and Best Editor. The music for this dance-based movie was composed by K V Mahadevan. Jayaprada plays the role of a mute girl who has an immense passion for dance. She is saved by Sambayya (Chandra Mohan) from her cruel stepmother.

#2 Sagara Sangamam (1983)

Yet another K Viswanath directorial, Sagara Sangamam stands as one of the most loved Indian films of all time. It has received huge critical acclaim and is the first film that ran for over 100 days in the four South Indian states. The movie was also dubbed into Russian to be screened at the Moscow International Film Festival. Sagara Sangamam revolves around Balakrishna, played by Kamal Hassan, who is a classical dancer. He gets a life-changing opportunity to dance at a high-level dance festival with the aid of Madhavi, played by Jayaprada, but goes in vain due to the untimely demise of his ill mother.

#3 Mayuri (1984)

Mayuri is a biographical dance film directed by Singeetham Srinivasa Rao, based on the life of Sudha Chandran, an Indian dancer who has lost her leg due to an accident. The titular role of Mayuri was played by Sudha Chandran herself. This movie has won 14 Nandi Awards, the most by any Telugu film to date. Mayuri depicts how the dancer has fought her way back as a successful dancer with an amputated leg.

#4 Swarna Kamalam (1988)

Starring Bhanupriya and Venkatesh Daggubati, Swarna Kamalam was directed by K Viswanath. The music for this movie was composed by Maestro Ilayaraja. This movie has received the Nandi Award for the best feature film along with several awards. The plot revolves around Meenakshi, the daughter of a respected Kuchipudi dancer, and her rise as a classical dancer. A tenant in their house, who is an artist, supports Meenakshi in achieving her dreams, due to his fondness of dance as well as her.

#5 Pournami (2006)

Starring Prabhas, Trisha Krishnan, and Charmee Kaur, this movie was directed by the dance icon, Prabhu Deva while the music was composed was Devi Sri Prasad. The film was inspired by a Russian film, Behind the Sun. Pournami revolves around the life ambition of a dance master to carry forward his family legacy.

#6 Style (2006)

Starring Raghava Lawrence and Prabhu Deva, this film has received a good response for the dance performances from both the lead actors. The plot revolves around an orphan who lives to fulfil his mother’s dream of making him a great dancer. On his journey, he meets a renowned dancer who aids him in achieving his dream.

Comment below with your favourite Telugu movies based on dance.