Telangana Formation Day: Watch six films that celebrate the spirit of Telangana

Telangana as a state boasts of a unique culture whose traditions, rituals have been well-captured in mainstream cinema in the recent years. As we celebrate the 9th year into the formation of Telangana, we offer a peek into films that mirror the spirit of the region with honesty.

Fidaa

A simple story of an ambitious village girl falling for her brother-in-law set in Nizamabad, Fidaa was a gamechanger and was one of the first mainstream films that shed light on traditions and culture unique to the State. Directed by Sekhar Kammula, the film features a winning performance by Sai Pallavi, adequately complemented by Varun Tej, Raja Chembolu, Sai Chand and others.

Platform: Netflix

Maa Bhoomi

Directed by Goutam Ghose, Maa Bhoomi was a trendsetter in more ways than one, capturing the story of a farmer in the heart of Telangana and a series of events leading to the Razakar movement in the 1940s. Produced by B Narsing Rao, the film was a huge commercial success and inspired a wave of Telangana-centric stories in the 1980s.

Platform: Youtube

Balagam

Starring Priyadarshi, Kavya Kalyanram, Muralidhar Goud and Roopa in crucial roles, the film turned out to be a surprise hit at the theatres this year and told the story of a family dealing with the death of a patriarch. Focusing on family politics, traditions, music specific to rural Telangana, comedian Venu Yeldandi made a terrific directorial debut with the drama produced by Dil Raju.

Platform: Amazon Prime Video

Rajanna

While the entire country was celebrating freedom after 1947, several parts of the Telugu states were still ruled by the Nizams, who continued to wreak havoc on the lives of the masses owing to a vicious power system. The story focuses on a young girl who walks all the way to meet PM Jawaharlal Nehru and is determined to change the face of her village. Stars Annie, directed by RRR writer Vijayendra Prasad.

Platform: Disney+ Hotstar

Mail

One of the most charming Telangana-centric tales to have released on OTT, the Uday Gurrala directorial is a teen romance decoding how a village grapples with the dawn of the internet era. With adequate doses of humour, drama and smartly written scenarios, the tale set in the early 2000s is a must-watch. Stars Priyadarshi, Harshith Malgireddy, Mani Aegurla, Sri Gouri Priya.

Platform: aha

Skylab

Another sweet little-gem, the rural comedy revolves around the chaos that ensues in a village when its residents believe that a space station is about to fall in their region. However, their reactions towards a possible tragedy results in a series of hilarious events. Satyadev Kancharana, Rahul Ramakrishna, Nithya Menen play the lead roles in the Vishwak Khanderao directorial.

Platform: Sony LIV