Mallesham premieres on television more than two years after its theatrical release

Mallesham, a film inspired by the life of Aler-based weaver Chintakindi Mallesham, released in June 2019, is undoubtedly one of the finest biopics produced in Telugu cinema. Directed by Raj Rachakonda, the film stars Priyadarshi, Ananya Nagalla, Jhansi, Ananda Chakrapani and Anvesh Micheal in lead roles. It has taken two years after its theatrical release for Mallesham to premiere on television this Sunday. The film was telecast on Gemini TV at 12 pm on September 26, much to the joy of Telugu movie lovers.

The Telugu film, an engaging mix of fact and fiction, was based on a TedX talk delivered by the weaver a few years ago. This was a turning point in the careers of many actors involved in the film, from Priyadarshi to Anvesh Micheal to Ananda Chakrapani and Jhansi. Mallesham proved the versatility of Priyadarshi, who was largely restricted to comic roles till then, while Ananda Chakrapani got his due in the industry nearly 30 years after he acted in B Narsing Rao's Daasi. Jhansi, who played the mother to the title character, returned to acting after a sabbatical and has never looked back as an artiste ever since.

All said and done, despite garnering acclaim from critics and audiences, it's also true that Mallesham deserved more love and appreciation. Certainly, the television premiere is a great way for people to recognise the worth of the film again. Mallesham is currently streaming on Netflix. Priyadarshi and Ananda Chakrapani had yet again collaborated for an OTT show recently, titled Unheard, that's available to watch on Disney+ Hotstar.