20 Best new Telugu Movies and Serials to Watch in the UAE

Quite a few new Telugu movies and TV serials are available to viewers in the UAE. We highlight the best ones to watch across cinemas and streaming platforms like Netflix, SonyLiv and Zee5.

• Best new Malayalam movies and TV shows
• Best new Tamil movies and TV shows
• Best new Hindi movies and TV shows

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Athidhi

Platform: Disney+ Hotstar | Release Date: 19/09/2023 | Genre: Suspense | Language: Telugu | Rating: 15+ 

Actor Venu is making a solo comeback with Athidhi. He returned to the screens last year with Ravi Teja’s Ramarao On Duty. This suspense web series, he hopes, will give him a new lease of life. Apart from Venu, the thriller web series also stars Avanthika, Aditi Gautam, Venkatesh Kakumani, Bhadram, Gayatri Chaganti, Ravi Varma, Chanakya Teja, and Pooja. The series is written and directed by Bharat Y G. The story is about a loner in a big house whose life changes when many intruders swoop down in his place.

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Bhola Shankar

Platform: Netflix | Release Date: 15/09/2023 | Genre: Action | Language: Telugu| Rating: 18TC 

Bhola Shankar is the official remake of Ajith’s 2015 Tamil film  Vedalam. It is a mass entertainer about how a big brother (a reformed gangster) clandestinely keeps saving his sister. Here Chiranjeevi plays the lead while Keerthy Suresh is his sister on screen. Tamannaah Bhatia is his pair.  The film also stars Raghu Babu, Murali Sharma, Ravi Shankar, Vennela Kishore, Tulasi, Sri Mukhi, Bithiri Sathi, Satya, Getup Srinu, Rashmi Gautam, and Uttej. Chiranjeevi’s previous release, Waltair Veerayya, was just about passable. Bhola Shankar is Meher Ramesh’s directorial debut. The film tanked at the box-office.

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Ramabanam

Platform: Netflix | Release Date: 14/09/2023 | Genre: Action | Language: Telugu| Rating: 18TC 

Director Sriwass had previously worked with Gopichand in the films Lakshyam and Loukyam, both of which were big hits. Ramabanam is about two brothers —- this is where the angle of Ramayanam comes in. Aside from Gopichand, the film stars Jagapathi Babu, Dimple Hayathi, Nassar, Sachin Khedekar, Khushbu Sundar, Vennela Kishore, Ali, Saptagiri, Raja Ravindra, and Satya Akkala. The movie is a typical Telugu family entertainer.

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Miss Shetty Mr. Polishetty

Platform: Cinemas | Release Date: 07/09/2023 | Genre: Comedy | Language: Telugu | Rating: PG15

Directed by Mahesh Babu Pachigolla, Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty stars Anushka Shetty and Naveen Polishetty in the lead roles. It is Anushka Shetty’s theatrical film five years after Bhaagamathie. The film follows Miss Shetty and Mr Polishetty — she is a dedicated cook, who takes the profession seriously,  and he is a stand-up comedian who is a flippant in his approach. They have a contrasting outlook towards relationships, marriage and other aspects. The comedic entertainer follows their lives and the issues they face due to their respective attitudes. This Telugu film is also releasing in Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam dubbed versions.

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Kushi

Platform: Cinemas | Release Date: 31/08/2023 | Genre: Romance | Language: Telugu| Rating: PG15

This romantic drama has the young and happening Vijay Deverakonda and Samantha Ruth Prabhu in the leads. The Telugu movie, which will also be dubbed in Tamil, Hindi, Kannada and Malayalam, has Vijay as Viplav and Samantha as Aradhya, who fall in love in Kashmir. The songs, dripping with youthful fervour, are all a hit. This is a Hesham Abdul Wahab musical  Written and directed by Shiva Nirvana. The inter-faith love story is also a relationship drama. The film also stars Jayaram, Sachin Khedakar, Murali Sharma, Lakshmi, Ali, Rohini, Vennela Kishore, Rahul Ramakrishna and Saranya. Samantha had earlier worked with Nirvana in the 2019 film Majili.

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Bhola Shankar

Platform: Cinemas | Release Date: 11/08/2023 | Genre: Action | Language: Telugu| Rating: 18TC 

Bhola Shankar is the official remake of Ajith’s 2015 Tamil film  Vedalam. It is a mass entertainer about how a big brother (a reformed gangster) clandestinely keeps saving his sister. Here Chiranjeevi plays the lead while Keerthy Suresh is his sister on screen. Tamannaah Bhatia is his pair.  The film also stars Raghu Babu, Murali Sharma, Ravi Shankar, Vennela Kishore, Tulasi, Sri Mukhi, Bithiri Sathi, Satya, Getup Srinu, Rashmi Gautam, and Uttej. Chiranjeevi’s previous release, Waltair Veerayya, was just about passable. Bhola Shankar is Meher Ramesh’s directorial debut.

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Pareshan

Platform: SonyLIV | Release Date: 04/07/2023 | Genre: Rural comedy | Language: Telugu | Rating: PG13

Produced by Rana Daggubati, who has a yen to back interesting low-budget films in Telugu, this rural Telangana comedy had a decent run at the theatres. Thiruveer plays the male lead, while Pavani Karanam is the heroine of this film which also stars Sai Prasanna, Arjun Krishna, Shruthi Riyan, Buddarakhan Ravi, Raju Bedigela, and Muralidhar Goud. Rupak Ronaldson directs the film.

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Dayaa

Platform: Disney+ Hotstar | Release Date: 04/07/2023 | Genre: Suspense | Language: Telugu | Rating: PG18

The Telugu remake of the Bengali web series, Taqdeer is about a van driver whose life takes an unexpected turn when he discovers a lifeless body inside his van. This sets off a series of tumultuous events that plunges him and his best friend into tough situations. Directed by Pavan Sadineni, Dayaa features JD Chakravarthy, Eesha Rebba, Remya Nambeesan, Prudhvi Raj, Kamal Kamaraju, and Josh Ravi in pivotal roles. This Telugu release marks Bengali production house SVF’s entry into the Telugu market.

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Bro

Platform:  Cinemas | Release Date: 28/07/2023 | Genre: Family drama | Language: Telugu | Rating: 18TC

Bro marks Pawan Kalyan’s return to the big screen after Bheemla Nayak in 2022. Tamil actor-director Samuthirakani has helmed Bro, a remake of his Tamil film Vinodhaya Sitham (2021). This fantasy comedy stars Pawan Kalyan and Sai Dharam Tej in the lead roles. The female leads are Kethika Sharma and Priya Prakash Varrier.

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Maya Bazaar For Sale

Platform: Zee5 | Release Date: 14/07/2023 | Genre: Family drama | Language: Telugu | Rating: U

This Telugu web series is said to be a fun and satirical drama revolving around families in a premium gated community. A middle-class family moves into a posh community only to discover that the newly purchased property is illegal. The series chronicles the story of families, namely, the Pastry’s, Gandhi’s, the Hippies, the Bachelors and the Lovey-Dovey couple in the gated community called ‘Maya Bazaar’. The seven-episode show is produced by actor Rana Daggubati’s production banner Spirit Media. The series stars Navdeep Pallapolu, Eesha Rebba, Naresh Vijaya Krishna, Hari Teja, Jhansi Laxmi, Meiyang Chang, Sunaina, Ravi Varma and Kota Srinivas Rao, among others.

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Samajavaragamana

Platform: Cinemas | Release Date: 06/07/2023 | Genre: Comedy | Language: Telugu | Rating: PG13

Samajavaragamana, starring Sree Vishnu, Reba Monica John, Naresh VK, Sudarshan, Srikanth Iyengar and Vennela Kishore, is a family entertainer. The film is directed by Ram Abbaraju, who previously helmed the decent entertainer Vivaha Bhojanambu.  Samajavaragamana is the story of a young man who is the sole breadwinner of his family. His father has been attempting to finish his graduation for 30 years to inherit the family’s wealth. The young man falls in love with a woman who comes to their house as a paying guest. But there is a hitch to their marriage. And how they overcome the hindrances is the story.

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Rangabali

Platform: Cinemas | Release Date: 07/07/2023 | Genre: Comedy | Language: Telugu | Rating: PG15

Rangabali is said to be a comedy entertainer headlined by Naga Shaurya. Yukti Thareja is the female lead  with Satya, Brahmaji, Goparaju Ramanna, Rajkumar Kasireddy and Kodati Pavan Kalyan playing supporting roles. Malayalam actor Shine Tom Chacko is also in the cast. The film is written and directed by newcomer Pawan Basamsetti. 

Set in the titular town of Rangabali, the story is about a slacker who works in his father’s pharmacy and his love affair with a doctor. The home town vibe is the crucial idea of the plot.

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Malli Pelli

Platform: Amazon Prime Video | Release Date: 23/06/2023 | Genre: Family drama | Language: Telugu | Rating: PG13 

Actors Naresh and actress Pavitra Lokesh hit the headlines with their marriage.  The film, produced by Naresh, intriguingly focuses on the romantic relationship between two middle-aged celebrities. The film is written and directed by MS Raju. Jayasudha, Sarathbabu, Vanitha Vijayakumar, Ananya Nagella, Roshan, Ravivarma, Annapoorna, Bhadram, Yukta, Praveen Yandamuri, and Madhoo also play significant roles in the movie. The film had a good run at the theatres.

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Shaitan

Platform: Disney+ Hotstar | Release Date: 15/06/2023 | Genre: Crime Drama | Language: Telugu | Rating: UA

Kannada actor Rishi is making his web series debut this week with the Telugu original Shaitan.  Directed by Mahi V Raghavan, the show will also have Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi versions. The plot is about a family of four who resort to violent measures to pursue survival. The series features Sai Kamakshi Bhaskarla, Deviyani Sharma, Jaffer Sadiq, Aneesha Dama, Nithin Prasanna, and Lenaa Kumar. The series is said to be on the lines of  Mirzapur and Patal Lok, which had a gritty take on the underbelly of society.

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Unstoppable

Platform: Cinemas | Release Date: 09/06/2023 | Genre: Comedy | Language: Telugu | Rating: PG15

VJ Sunny became famous after he won the Bigg Boss Telugu title in its 5th season. That popularity brought him many film offers, but none of which has worked so far. Sunny is again testing his luck with the film Unstoppable. Directed by Diamond Ratnababu, this movie features Saptagiri as the female lead.  Sunny and Saptagiri play the roles of two friends who are in desperate need of money, and their attempts land them in a lot of trouble. Well-known comedians Bithiri Sathi, Shakalaka Shankar, and Raghubabu are also in the cast. The director had won his spurs through comedy films like Pilla Nuvvuleni Jeevitham, and Eedo Rakam Aado Rakam.

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Custody

Platform: Amazon Prime Video | Release Date: 09/06/2023 | Genre: Action | Language: Telugu/Tamil | Rating: PG13 

Tamil director Venkat Prabhu is officially making his Telugu debut with Naga Chaitanya’s cop thriller Custody.  The film marks the Tamil debut of Naga Chaitanya and Krithi Shetty as leads. Naga Chaitanya played a cameo role in the 2010 Tamil release Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa.  Naga Chaitanya plays a cop in this action thriller, while Krithi Shetty plays his love interest. Arvind Swami, Priyamani, Sarath Kumar, Sampath Raj, Premji Amaren, Vennela Kishore, and Premi Vishwanath play essential roles. The film has music by the father-son duo Ilaiyaraaja and Yuvan Shan.

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Vishwak

Platform: Zee5 | Release Date: 02/06/2023 | Genre: Action | Language: Telugu | Rating: UA 

The story is about an idealistic youngster who wants to do something for the country through his work and startup. But he faces problems, and his dad wants him to work abroad. Caught between the two, the youngster understands life and his country. The story deals with the stress, struggles, depression & unemployment of the youth. And how educated NRIs can also help in the growth & development of the nation. The film stars Ajay Kumar Kathurvar, Darbha Appaji Ambarisha, and Likith Chennamaneni. Venu Mulkala directs the film.

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Ramabanam

Platform: SonyLiv |  Release Date: 03/06/2023 | Genre: Action | Language: Telugu | Rating: 18TC 

Director Sriwass had previously worked with Gopichand in the films Lakshyam and Loukyam, both of which were big hits. The duo joined forces again with Ramabanam. The story is about two brothers —- this is where the angle of Ramayanam comes in. Aside from Gopichand, the film stars Jagapathi Babu, Dimple Hayathi, Nassar, Sachin Khedekar, Khushbu Sundar, Vennela Kishore, Ali, Saptagiri, Raja Ravindra, and Satya Akkala. The movie is a typical Telugu family entertainer.

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Ugram

Platform: Amazon Prime Video |  Release Date: 02/06/2023 | Genre: Action | Language: Telugu | Rating: 18TC 

Ugram is the story of a determined police officer who investigates a series of missing persons in Warangal. Tragedy strikes when the cop, his wife and their daughter meet with an accident. While he is injured, his wife and child suddenly go missing. Driven by love and desperation, he embarks on a mission to locate his family, unravelling shocking secrets. Directed by Vijay Kanakamedala and produced by Sahu Garapati and Harish Peddi, Ugram features Allari Naresh, Mirnaa Menon, Indraja and Sharath Lohitashwa in the lead roles. 

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Agent

Platform: SonyLiv | Release Date: 19/05/2023 | Genre: Action | Rating: 18TC 

Espionage action thrillers are the flavour of the season, it seems. This Telugu film is about a young, wild spy who’s deputed on a mission to end the reign of an underworld don. The film stars Akhil Akkineni, Malayalam star Mammootty, Sakshi Vaidya, Dino Morea and others. Directed by Surender Reddy and written by Vakkantham Vamsi, the film, with music by Hiphop Tamizha, is produced by Anil Sunkara. In its theatrical run, the film did underwhelming business.

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Dead Pixels

Platform: Disney+ | Release Date: 19/05/2023 | Genre:Comedy | Rating: 18TC 

The story is broadly about the obsession with the virtual world. The cast is deadlined by Niharika Konidela, Harsha Chemudu, Sai Ronak, Akshay Lagusani and Bhavana Sagi, among others. 

This Telugu series is a remake of the famous British comedy of the same name. The series delves into three friends whose lives revolve around a video game named Kingdom Scrolls and how their virtual life affects their real life and vice versa. The adaptation has a screenplay by  Akshay Poolla. Aditya Mandala, who directed the 2020 film Maa Vintha Gadha Vinuma, has helmed the series.

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