Quite a few new Telugu movies, or Tollywood as it is sometimes known, are available to viewers in the UAE. We highlight the best ones to watch across cinemas and streaming platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, SonyLiv and Zee5.

Gaami

Telugu | Adventure | Rating: 15+

Touted to be an adventure story, the story, as outlined by the press handouts, has three strands. One is about an Aghora who cannot experience human touch. The second is about a young estranged daughter of Devadasi who is facing death. The third is about a youth facing torture in an illegal medical facility. These different stories neatly converge at one point and move on. Directed by Vidyadhar Kagita, the film is headlined by Vishwak Sen. Others in the cast include Chandini Chowdary, MG Abhinaya, Mohammad Samad and Harika Pedada.

Bhimaa

Telugu | Action | Rating: PG15

Gopichand’s last film, Ramabanam, was a flop at the box office. He is now ready with Bhimaa, a cop drama directed by Harsha. Gopichand will be seen in dual avatars in this film. One is a cop. The other is kept in suspense. Priya Bhavani Shankar and Malavika Sharma play the female leads in this film which also has Niharika Konidela in a key role.

Yatra 2

Telugu | Political Drama| Rating: PG15

The Telugu film Yatra (2019), a biopic of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy, starring Mammootty, was a smashing hit. Yatra 2 is a biopic on his son, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the current Chief Minister of the StaTE. Mammootty reprises his role, and the film takes off from his unfortunate demise. Yatra 2 explores the political landscape of Andhra Pradesh between 2009 and 2019, along with YS Jagan’s historic walkathon that catapulted him into public consciousness. Jiiva plays Jagan Mohan Reddy. Mahi V Raghav directs the film.  

The movie will be released on Prime Video on March 8. It may not be available to stream in the Middle East region.

Operation Valentine

Hindi, Telugu | Action | Rating: PG15

Close on the heels of Fighter, another movie on a fighter pilot and air force action is Operation Valentine.  Directed by debutant Shakti Pratap Singh Hada, the film unfolds around the Pulwama attack and its aftermath on February 14, 2019. In Hindi and Telugu, this bilingual film marks the Bollywood debut of Tollywood actor Varun Tej. He plays Arjun Dev, a brave fighter pilot, and Manushi Chhillar the female lead, plays a radar officer.

Rajadhani Files

Telugu | Action | Rating: PG15

With the elections looming in Andhra Pradesh, many political films are gearing up for release, and one among them is Rajadhani Files.  It is centred around the Amaravati farmers’ protest. Directed by Bhanu, the film boasts a cast that includes Akhilan, Veena, Vinodh Kumar, Vani Vishwanath, Pavan, Madhu, Ajay Rathnam, and Shanmukh in pivotal roles. According to the production house, the film will see 600 real-life farmers share their problems.

Ooru Peru Bhairavakona

Telugu | Adventure | Rating: PG15

Director V I Anand and actor Sundeep Kishan are a hit combo and have worked on films like Tiger (2015) in the past. So they’re coming together again for Ooru Peru Bhairavakona, which has kindled interest among film buffs. Sundeep was last seen in Michael in 2023 and in a key role in Dhanush-starrer Captain Miller. Ooru Peru Bhairavakona has Varsha Bollamma and Kavya Thapar in the leads. The VFX work is said to be one of the highlights of this fantasy adventure movie. 

 Yatra 2

Telugu | Political Drama | Rating: PG15

The Telugu film Yatra (2019), a biopic of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy, starring Mammootty, was a smashing hit. Yatra 2 is a biopic on his son, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the current Chief Minister of the StaTE. Mammootty reprises his role, and the film takes off from his unfortunate demise. Yatra 2 explores the political landscape of Andhra Pradesh between 2009 and 2019, along with YS Jagan’s historic walkathon that catapulted him into public consciousness. Jiiva plays Jagan Mohan Reddy. Mahi V Raghav directs the film.

Guntur Kaaram

Telugu | Action | Rating: PG15

This mass masala entertainer is helmed by Trivikram Srinivas, who has previously collaborated with Mahesh Babu’s blockbuster hits Athadu and Khaleja. After 12 years, the popular duo has reunited for this big-budget project. The film, which is touted to be an action drama, also stars Sreeleela, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Jagapathi Babu, Ramya Krishnan, Jayaram, Prakashraj, and Sunil. Mahesh Babu had no release in 2023, and he was last seen on the big screen in the 2022 film Sarkaru Vaari Paata. 

The movie will stream on Netflix starting Feb 9, 2024. It may not be available in the MENA region.

Miss Perfect

Telugu | Romcom | Rating: U

This Romcom is slated as a Valentine’s season special. Miss Perfect is directed by Vishwak Khanderao and written with family entertainment in mind. The show stars Lavanya Tripathi in the lead. She plays an OCD-afflicted person and a stickler for excellence. Big Boss winners Abhijeet Duddala, Jhansi, Abhignya Vuthaluru, Jhansi, Harsha Vardhan, Mahesh Vitta, and Harsh Roshan are cast in prominent roles.

The movie will stream on Disney Hotstar+ starting Feb 2, 2024.

Saindhav

Telugu | Thriller | Rating: UA

Directed by Sailesh Kolanu, the film features Venkatesh Daggubati in the lead role along with Shraddha Srinath, Ruhani Sharma, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Arya, and Andrea Jeremiah in pivotal roles. Venkatesh plays the role of Saindhav Koneru, aka ‘SaiKo’,  a doting father leading a simple family life with his daughter, Gayathri. However, the tranquillity shatters when she is diagnosed with a life-threatening health condition. Faced with the dire situation, SaiKo plunges back into the underworld, determined to save his daughter at any cost. This sets the stage for a relentless battle against his past adversaries.

The movie will stream on Prime Video starting Feb 3, 2024.

Guntur Kaaram

Telugu | Action | Rating: PG15

This mass masala entertainer is helmed by Trivikram Srinivas, who has previously collaborated with Mahesh Babu’s blockbuster hits Athadu and Khaleja. After 12 years, the popular duo has reunited for this big-budget project. The film, which is touted to be an action drama, also stars Sreeleela, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Jagapathi Babu, Ramya Krishnan, Jayaram, Prakashraj, and Sunil. Mahesh Babu had no release in 2023, and he was last seen on the big screen in the 2022 film Sarkaru Vaari Paata.

HanuMan

Telugu | Action | Rating: PG13

HanuMan is a fantasy cum mythological film which borrows the idioms of superhero movie. This action film, based on Indian history and belief, is directed by Prasanth Varma. HanuMan stars, among others, Teja Sajja, Amritha Aiyer, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, and Vinay Rai. Prasanth is known for his works like Awe, Kalki, and Zombie Reddy.

Saindhav

Telugu | Action | Rating: PG15

Saindhav, believed to be an action entertainer, is actor Venkatesh Daggubati’s 75th film. Directed by Sailesh Kolanu, Saindhav’s cast also includes Shraddha Srinath, Arya, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Ruhani Sharma. The story revolves around a rare and costly drug used in the treatment of muscular atrophy in children. Sailesh Kolanu, who previously made Hit 2, is said to have come up with realistic action portions.

Ajay Gadu

Telugu | Action | Rating: UA

Ajay Gadu is said to be an action romance. The male lead is Ajay Kumar Kathurvar and is paired opposite two female leads – Shweta Mehta and Bhanusri. Besides playing the lead role, Ajay has also produced the film along with Chandana Koppisetti under Ajay Kumar Productions. The team behind the production house also gets the directorial credit for the project. Abhai Naveen, Jayasri Rachakonda play other important roles in Ajay Gadu. The film has four music composers – Karthik Kodakandla, Manizena, Sumanth Babu and Pratheik.

 Hi Nanna

Telugu | Drama | Rating: 15+

This subtle film is about a doting father and his six-year-old whose lives change when a woman befriends them and empathizes with their past. The film marks the debut of director of Shouryuv. Starring Nanni, Mrunal Thakur, Jayaram, and Shruti Haasan in lead roles, the romantic drama was released in theaters and had a good run. Baby Kiara Khanna, Jayaram, Priyadarshi Pulikonda, Angad Bedi, Viraj Ashwin are also in the cast of this emotional drama. 

Balakumar Kuppuswamy
Balakumar Kuppuswamy

An engineer-turned-journalist, K Balakumar’s career began in print publications as a sports writer. That also opened doors for other journalistic avenues like films, music, finance, technology and politics, which nobody can escape in India. After 30 yrs in mainstream journalism, now a freelancer for various digital publications.

threads

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *