Colour Photo becomes the first direct-to-OTT Telugu film to win a National Award

Colour Photo, the dark love story that released directly on the Telugu OTT platform aha during the lockdown in 2020, was one of the most celebrated films that year, receiving rave reviews from critics and audiences alike. Starring Chandini Chowdary, Suhas and Sunil, the film, directed by Sandeep Raj, was a mature romance that was rooted in reality. It tackled issues like racism, colour bias, patriarchy and mental health within a mainstream narrative without compromising on entertainment . 

The National Award win for Colour Photo (as the Best Telugu film), announced earlier today, is extremely significant for many reasons. Firstly, it breaks several myths about that only a specific kind of films can bag coveted awards. It's equally special because it is the first ever Telugu OTT film to win laurels on a national level. The win proves that acknowledgement and validation are only a matter of time if you stay true to your craft, regardless of the medium of release.

While there's a perception that Telugu cinema can only produce over-the-top, larger than life films like RRR, Pushpa, Baahubali, the win for Colour Photo will introduce an unexplored dimension of the industry to a new set of audiences. Given the popularity for Telugu content these days, it's certain that the film will draw more eyeballs in the days to come. aha should ideally make most of this buzz, give an extra push to Colour Photo in the days to come and get many more people to watch it.

Viva Harsha, Divya Sripada and Vidya Maharshi also play crucial supporting roles in the film. Kodati Pavan Kalyan had edited it while Venkat R Shakamuri was the cinematographer. Kaala Bhairava had scored the music. Besides writing the story, filmmaker Sai Rajesh had bankrolled Colour Photo in collaboration with Benny Muppaneni under Amrutha Productions and Loukya Entertainments.