In 2024, the Telugu film industry solidified its status as a dominant cinematic force in India, with numerous Telugu films surpassing Rs 1000 crore in global earnings and establishing new records with their Hindi versions in Northern India. The Telugu cinema industry features approximately 40 male actors who annually release films. However, numerous stars failed to come up with a single film in 2024.
Telugucinema.com publishes a series of articles documenting the events, trends, debates, celebrations, failures, and successes of the Telugu movie industry in 2024. ‘TC Roundup 2024’ commences with the male stars who were absent in 2024.
Megastar Chiranjeevi
In the preceding two years, Megastar Chiranjeevi had released two films each year, but after the flop of “Bholaa Shankar,” he took a conscious decision to slow down. This year, he is actively working on a socio-fantasy film, Vishwambhara, under the direction of Vassishta from “Bimbisara” fame, set for release in summer 2025.
Nandamuri Balakrishna
The Andhra Pradesh assembly elections diverted Nandamuri Balakrishna’s essential time from film productions, preventing him from preparing “Daaku Maharaj” for the Dasara festival 2024, its initial release schedule. Consequently, the film’s release has been rescheduled to Sankranthi 2025. He achieved significant success in 2024 by winning a third term as MLA from Hindupur and hosting another season of his talk show, Unstoppable, with NBK.
Pawan Kalyan
2024 dramatically altered Pawan Kalyan’s life. He established his party in 2014 but did not secure election to the AP assembly throughout the subsequent decade. However, in 2024, he not only triumphed in the Pithapuram assembly constituency as MLA, but his party also won all contested seats, leading to his appointment as Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. He is currently one of the most charismatic and influential leaders inside the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Only after assuming the role of DCM did he decide to finalize the remaining filming segments for the films “Hari Hara Veera Mallu” and “OG.” However, neither film has completed production, and both are scheduled for release in 2025.
Ram Charan
Following “RRR,” Ram Charan went on with filmmaker Shankar’s “Game Changer,” which concluded its filming in October of this year. The creators originally intended to release it for Christmas but subsequently rescheduled it for Sankranthi 2025. Consequently, this marks the second consecutive year in which Ram Charan has not had a film release.
Nithin
Nithin was prepared to promote his film “Robinhood,” but unexpectedly, the production company withdrew it from the Christmas competition and rescheduled its release for early 2025. Nithin will conclude this year without any releases, which is disappointing for his fans.
Naga Chaitanya
Naga Chaitanya’s film “Thandel,” first slated for release on December 20, 2024, has been rescheduled to February 2025. However, on a personal level, he experienced a great phase. He wed Sobhita, a popular actress, in a conventional wedding on December 4. Naga Chaitanya welcomed her into the Akkineni family after a two-year courtship.
Sai Durgha Tej
Sai Dharam Tej altered his name to Sai Durgha Tej this year. For inexplicable reasons, he habitually alters his name solely for online platforms and social media, not for formal documentation. Starting this year, he intends to utilize Sai Durgha Tej on film. However, he did not have any film releases in 2024.
Adivi Sesh
Adivi Sesh prioritizes quality over quantity. Renowned for his perfectionism, he was unable to complete the shooting of two films he initiated earlier this year, resulting in no releases.
Akhil Akkineni
The catastrophic outcome of “Agent” in 2023 shocked him to such an extent that he needed almost a year to contemplate numerous options for his subsequent professional engagements. He ultimately resolved to undertake two new films, set to commence in 2025. However, on a personal level, a favorable development occurred as he became engaged to his girlfriend, Zainab.
Bellamkonda Sai Srinivas
Bellamkonda Sai Srinivas aspired to dominate the Bollywood film industry; nevertheless, his first Hindi film, “Chatrapathi,” failed spectacularly, compelling him to persist in the Telugu film industry. This year, Bellamkonda Sai Srinivas announced numerous films, but none have released yet; all are still in the production stage.
Naga Shaurya
Following a succession of failures, Naga Shaurya’s career has diminished in luster, and he is encountering difficulties in securing new offers. As a result, he was unable to release any film this year.
Vaishnav Tej
Despite Vaishnav Tej’s remarkable breakthrough with “Uppena” in 2021, all his subsequent films failed disastrously. His career is entirely in disarray.
