In 2025, it was clear that it was not going to be easy to draw moviegoers into cinema halls in large numbers. Stories that do not feel dated, a tighter rein on the scripts, and films that make the audiences feel that the time, effort and money spent to be at the cinema hall are worth it are non-negotiables for Telugu cinema to regain momentum.
2026 began with director Sandeep Reddy Vanga revealing the first look poster of Spirit, starring Prabhas and Triptii Dimri. The makers, however, are yet to announce a release date. Meanwhile, SS Rajamouli and Mahesh Babu’s highly-anticipated Varanasi, is slated for a 2027 release.
Festive beginnings
The big action for 2026 will kick off from the Sankranti festival season.
How many films are too many for the season? The mid-January harvest season is synonymous with good tidings and a willingness to spend on entertainment. This year, five films are vying for attention — The Raja Saab, Bhartha Mahasayulaku Wignyapthi, Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu, Anaganaga Oka Raju and Nari Nari Naduma Murari.
Director Maruthi helms The Raja Saab, a horror fantasy entertainer starring Prabhas, Sanjay Dutt, Boman Irani, Malavika Mohanan, Nidhhi Agerwal , Riddhi Kumar and Zarina Wahab. The Telugu film with its eye on the nationwide market has Prabhas navigating a haunted house from which exit is easier said than done.
Writer-director Anil Ravipudi would hope that his success streak during Sankranti continues this year, in his first collaboration with Chiranjeevi. Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu will also feature the director’s lucky charm actor Venkatesh Daggubati in a cameo; the film stars Nayanthara as the female lead.
With Bhartha Mahasayulaku Wignyapthi directed by Kishore Tirumala, Ravi Teja would hope for a turnaround from his rough patch. The entertainer stars Ashika Ranganath and Dimple Hayathi as the female leads.
The mention of Nari Nari Naduma Murari might make movie buffs recall the 1990 film. Like the older film, the new one also features a male protagonist (Sharwanand) caught between two women. Hopefully, the similarities end there. The film directed by Ram Abbaraju stars Samyuktha Menon and Sakshi Vaidya. Ram’s 2023 film Samajavaragamana was a surprise hit and the new film, also billed as a comedy, banks on the festive season.
Naveen Polishetty stars in a massier character than usual in Anaganaga Oka Raju, alongside Meenakshi Chaudhary. This film comes from director Kalyan Shankar of MAD, MAD Square and Tillu Square fame.
The Sankranti season will also feature the Telugu dubbed versions of the Tamil films Parashakti, and Jana Nayagan as Jana Nayakudu.
Hit or miss
Beyond the season and star-led releases, the real test lies in the ability of more films managing to pique curiosity. Teasers and trailers that spark interest and marketing campaigns have become imperative to draw in the crowds in the opening weekend, after which the film’s content does the talking. The trends in the last two years showed that small and medium budget films either become super hits or go unnoticed.
Tharun Bhascker and Eesha Rebba’s Om Shanti Shanti Shanti will arrive late January, giving a native spin to the Malayalam film Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey. Director Gunasekhar’s Euphoria, which marks his departure from period and mythological dramas, is expected in February. Nikhil Siddhartha’s Swayambhu directed by Bharat Krishnamachari is also scheduled for a February release.
Stills from The Paradise, Dacoit and Peddi
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Special Arrangement
After three years, Adivi Sesh will court theatres with two films this year — Dacoit directed by Shaneil Deo, co-starring Mrunal Thakur, and G2: Goodachari 2, directed by Vinay Kumar Sirigineedi. Dacoit arrives in March, followed by director Buchi Babu Sana’s Peddi led by Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoor, and director Srikanth Odela’s ambitious The Paradise featuring Nani in a never-before-seen character.
Director Hanu Raghavapudi and Prabhas’s Fauzi, Vijay Deverakonda and director Ravi Kiran Kola’s Rowdy Janardhana, Naga Chaitanya and director Karthik Dandu’s Vrushakarma, Sharwanand and Abhishek Reddy’s Biker, the much-delayed Chiranjeevi-starrer Vishwambhara directed by Vassishta, and Gowtam Tinnanuri’s teen musical Magic are some of the other films expected this year.
While a few have announced their release dates, others are yet to officially lock in the date. Pawan Kalyan and Harish Shankar’s Ustaad Bhagat Singh, Atlee and Allu Arjun’s new film, Nagarjuna Akkineni’s 100th film, NTR and Prashant Neel’s Dragon, the sequel of Mirai, Venkatesh and Trivikram Srinivas’s Adarsha Kutumbam House no.47 – AK 47, Drishyam 3, Nandini Reddy and Samantha’s Maa Inti Bangaram, Ravikanth Perepu and Siddhu Jonnalagadda’s Badass, and Swaroop RSJ and Siddhu’s new film are among the others under production.
Aditya Hasan, who produced the blockbuster Little Hearts, is now working on Epic, starring Anand Deverakonda and Vaishnavi Chaitanya. He is stepping into a zone different from that of Little Hearts and his earlier web series 90s: A Middle Class Biopic.
At the turn of the pandemic, it appeared as though Telugu cinema had cracked a magic formula with more hits than other industries. However, the bubble burst in 2025. With escalating production costs and ambitious projects getting longer to be made, there is a need to revert to the basics — stories that can strike a chord with the audiences.
Published – January 02, 2026 03:02 pm IST
