So far Telugu movies have been shining brightly. The industry sees new dawn as more independent movies are being appreciated by the mainstream audience. In the first half of 2021, a wide range of genres was explored. While Vakeel Saab, Jathi Ratnalu, Uppena, Krack served great innings at the theatres, the rest of the movies underperformed at the box office, due to the rising alarm of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, OTT platforms provided a convenient space for movies to release. Producers also went for direct releases of their movies on online platforms. The Covid-19 pandemic also led to the delaying of several projects that were slated for release in 2021. But it can now be expected that these upcoming Telugu movies will be released soon in 2021, either in the theaters or OTT platforms depending on the severity of the pandemic and Government-issued regulations.
#1 Major
Based on the inspiring true story of a real-life hero, Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, Major is one of the most anticipated Telugu releases of 2021. Produced by Mahesh Babu, Major stars Adivi Sesh, Sobhita Dhulipala, Saiee Manjrekar, and Prakash Raj. The movie has been shot simultaneously in Hindi and Telugu. Shesh has also been credited with scripting the story and the screenplay. Originally slated for a 2 July 2021 release, Major was postponed due to the pandemic.
#2 RRR
SS Rajamouli’s highly ambitious project, RRR has been slated for an October 2021 release. Regular updates on the making of the movie have been surfacing from time to time, the most recent being that the movie’s production is close to wrapping up. The movie stars an ensemble cast including Junior NTR, Ram Charan, Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt. The movie is a period-action drama on Indian revolutionaries Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem. Digital and Satellite rights of this magnum opus have been bought by Zee, Netflix, and Star respectively.
#3 Radhe Shyam
Post Prabhas’s high acclaim for his role in Baahubali and Saaho, the star returns with yet another ambitious Pan-India movie. Radhe Shyam is directed by Radha Krishna Kumar and has been shot simultaneously in Hindi and Telugu. The period romance drama set in 20th century Europe casts Pooja Hegde and Prabhas in the lead. Veteran actress Bhagyashree also returns to the big screen via Radhe Shyam. The movie was originally slated to release on 30 July 2021 but eventually got delayed due to the pandemic. The last schedule of the movie is yet to be shot.
#4 Liger
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Vijay Deverakonda’s Pan-India movie, Liger starring Ananya Panday has been making quite the buzz. The movie is directed by Puri Jagannadh and produced by Karan Johar and Charmme Kaur. Liger will also mark the debut of Vijay Deverakonda in Bollywood. The movie was initially slated for release in November 2020 but has been shifted to 9 September 2021, due to the pandemic.
#5 Pushpa
One of the highly anticipated movies of 2021 is Allu Arjun’s Pushpa. The ambitious high-budget Telugu action thriller has been keeping everyone eager for its release. The movie also has a talented lead cast including Fahadh Faasil (making his Telugu debut) and Rashmika Mandanna. The story of the movie is said to revolve around the red sanders smuggling carried out in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh. The movie will be released in two parts. The first part has been slated for a 13 August, 2021 release and the second part is set to release some time in 2022.
#6 Ghani
Ghani is an upcoming Telugu sports drama movie. The movie stars Varun Tej and Saiee Manjrekar in the lead. To prepare for his role in Ghani, Varun Tej underwent heavy training under Tony Jefferis. The movie has been shot partially in Vizag and Hyderabad. The movie has been slated to release on 30 July 2021.
#7 Maha Samudram
My passion is to capture…I feel fulfilled this time I captured my two Heroes. ???#ShootingDiaries#Mahasamudram@ImSharwanand @Actor_Siddharth @AKentsOfficial pic.twitter.com/tdAodiYeDk
— Ajay Bhupathi (@DirAjayBhupathi) June 1, 2021
Written and directed by Ajay Bhupathi of RX 100 fame, Maha Samudram is an upcoming Telugu action drama. The movie has been shot simultaneously in Telugu and Tamil. The movie stars Siddharth, Sharwanand, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Anu Emmanuel in the lead roles. Out of all the upcoming Telugu movies in 2021, Maha Samudram is the movie that Vizagites are most excited about, as it is set in Visakhapatnam. Maha Samudram is to be released on 19 August 2021.
#8 Narappa
The official Telugu remake of Dhanush’s Asuran is to release in the second half of 2021. Narappa stars Venkatesh in the lead role (Dhanush). It also features Priyamani, Karthik Rathnam, Prakash Raj, Murali Sharma and Sampath Raj in prominent roles. The movie has been directed by Srikanth Addala. Distribution rights of Narappa have been acquired by Amazon Prime Video. It was originally slated to release on 14 May 2021, but has been postponed.
#9 Acharya
Acharya is an upcoming Telugu action drama starring the father-son duo Chiranjeevi and Ram Charan. The movie has been entirely shot in Hyderabad. Acharya was scheduled to release on 13 May 2021 but was eventually postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The movie also stars Kajal Aggarwal and Pooja Hegde as the female leads. Directed by Koratala Siva, the new release date of Acharya is yet to be announced.
#10 Virata Parvam
Virata Parvam is an upcoming Telugu drama based on the Naxalite movement in the Telangana region during the 1990s. The movie was initially set for a theatrical release on 30 April 2021. The movie stars Rana Daggubati, Sai Pallavi, Priyamani, Nandita Das, and Naveen Chandra. Digital rights of the movie have been acquired by Netflix.
#11 Love Story
Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi’s upcoming romantic comedy movie, Love Story is one of the most anticipated of all upcoming Telugu movies in 2021. Its production and release were heavily affected due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Although after several efforts and hard work, the movie’s last schedule was completed in November 2020. Love Story was to be released on 16 April 2021 but was delayed due to the severity of the Covid-19 pandemic and was the first Telugu release to be postponed due to the second wave. The movie has been written and directed by Sekhar Kammula.
#12 Tuck Jagdish
Nani’s V was probably the first huge Telugu movie to release directly on Amazon Prime Video owing to the pandemic. However, the movie was loved and celebrated equally by the masses. Post his 25th film, the natural star returns to the screen with his new movie Tuck Jagadish. Directed by Shiva Nirvana, the movie stars Ritu Verma opposite Nani. The movie was to release on 16 April 2021 but was pushed a week to 23 April 2021. Later, the release got delayed further due to Covid-19 pandemic.
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