Best of 2022: Clap to Ammu to Butterfly, here are the best Telugu web originals that released this year

The number of Telugu films releasing directly on OTT drastically decreased in 2022 owing to policy changes within streaming platforms

Best direct-to-OTT Telugu releases this year

It’s safe to admit that theatres had an edge over the streaming platforms in 2022, at least across the Telugu states. After two years of COVID-19 wreaking havoc on the film industry, the fraternity heaved a sigh of relief with crowds turning to theatres in huge numbers. On a different note, streamers became more strigent with their OTT deals, cutting down on their fancy acquisitions, while largely preferring to premiere films on the platform post their theatrical releases. Hence, platforms were selective with the films that opted for a direct-to-OTT release. Among them, we pick the best of Telugu originals to have released in 2022. (in no particular order)

Ammu - Amazon Prime Video

Directed by debutant Charukesh Sekar, Ammu is a story of a woman refusing to be a mute victim in a toxic marriage, taking the viewers through several stages of her mental trauma. The film is a compelling mix of thrills and drama with a resilient, impactful performance from Aishwarya Lekshmi. However, the show-stealer is Naveen Chandra as the dreadful, manipulative husband who shows no remorse for his actions. Also features Bobby Simha in an impressive supporting role.

Bloody Mary- aha

Helmed by Karthikeya 2 maker Chandoo Mondeti, the film is a near-perfect OTT watch. It gives you all the highs and the adrenaline rush you expect from a thriller and also entertains you with its dark humour. Watch out for the impressive performances of Nivetha Pethuraj, Kireeti, Rajkumar Vasireddy, Ajay and Brahmaji. However, the very reason why they get a chance to shine is because of the good writing (by Prashanth Kumar Dimmala) and the neat, unfussy execution.

Butterfly - Disney+ Hotstar

Anupama Parameswaran’s entry into the Telugu OTT space with Butterfly gave her the wings to fly as a performer and lift a film on her own shoulders. In the garb of a thriller, the Satish Babu Ghanta directorial tells a story about a woman’s relentless battle to rescue her loved ones, offering a commentary on the harsh ways of the society as well. Nihal Kodhaty, Praveen, Bhumika Chawla and Rao Ramesh play their part in driving the narrative forward.

Clap - SonyLIV

While Jersey was a film about second chances in life, Aadhi Pinisetty’s sports drama Clap is a story of living your dream even without putting yourself in the spotlight. Marking the directorial debut of Prithivi Adithya, Clap is the tale of a small-town girl accomplishing her aims with the help of an athlete-turned-coach, who regains his purpose in life after a series of personal setbacks. Aadhi, Krisha Kurup, Nasser and Aakanksha Singh come up with engaging performances.

Other films that passed muster - Andaru Bagundali Andulo Nenundali, Repeat, Jagamemaya

Andaru Bagundali Andulo Nenundali, on aha, was is a simple, straightforward film that works more like a sugar-coated pill addressing the perils of social media with earnest acts by Naresh, Ali and Pavitra Lokesh. Two other direct-to-OTT releases on Disney+ Hotstar made for a decent watch on OTT too - Repeat and Jagamemaya. While

Repeat was a passable thriller ably headlined by Naveen Chandra and Roja-fame Madhoo, Jagamemaya was a decent time-pass fare with sharp editing, impactful cinematography and background score. The latter starred Dhanya Balakrishna, Teja Ainampudi and Chaitanya Rao.

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