Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, often referred to by his initials NTR, was an Indian actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, film editor, philanthropist and politician who served as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for seven years over four terms. He is regarded as one of the most influential actors of Indian cinema. He starred in over 300 films, predominantly in Telugu cinema, and was referred to as "Viswa Vikhyatha Nata Sarvabhouma". Rao received three National Film Awards for co-producing Thodu Dongalu (1954) and Seetharama Kalyanam (1960) under National Art Theater, Madras, and for directing Varakatnam (1970). In 1968, The Government of India honoured him with Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award, for his contributions to Indian cinema. In 2013, Rao was voted as "Greatest Indian Actor of All Time" in a CNN-IBN national poll conducted on the occasion of the Centenary of Indian Cinema.
This is a list of films produced in the Telugu cinema also known as Tollywood and in the Telugu language.
Daggubati Venkatesh, also known as Victory Venkatesh, is an Indian actor and film producer known for his work predominantly in Telugu cinema and a few Hindi films. Venkatesh has a prolific career spanning over 37 years and is known for portraying a variety of characters. He has received many accolades including six Filmfare Awards and five Nandi Awards.
Konidela Pawan Kalyan is an Indian politician, actor and philanthropist serving as the 11th Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh since June 2024. He is also the Minister of Panchayat Raj, Rural Development and Rural Water Supply; Environment, Forest, Science and Technology in the Government of Andhra Pradesh and an MLA representing the Pithapuram constituency. He is the founder and president of the Janasena Party.
Nandamuri Balakrishna , also known as Balayya or NBK, is an Indian actor, film producer and politician known for his works in Telugu cinema. Balakrishna is an elected member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly from Hindupuram constituency since 2014. The sixth son of actor and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N. T. Rama Rao, Balakrishna made his debut as a child artist at the age of 14 with the film Tatamma Kala (1974). Balakrishna is a recipient of three state Nandi Awards, three SIIMA Awards, and an IIFA Award. In 2012, Balakrishna was the chief guest at the 43rd IFFI. Currently, he serves as the Chairman of Basavatarakam Indo-American Cancer Hospital and Research Institute in Hyderabad.
Ghattamaneni Mahesh Babu is an Indian actor, film producer, and philanthropist who works in Telugu cinema. He is one of the highest-paid actors in Indian cinema and has featured in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list since 2012. Referred to in the media as "Superstar", he has appeared in more than 25 films. He is a recipient of several accolades including, nine Nandi Awards, five Filmfare Telugu Awards, four SIIMA Awards, three CineMAA Awards, and one IIFA Utsavam Award. He also owns the production house G. Mahesh Babu Entertainment.
Ramya Krishnan, also credited as Ramya Krishna, is an Indian actress predominantly known for her work in Telugu and Tamil films, along with appearances in Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi films.
Prakash Raj is an Indian actor, film director, producer, television presenter, and politician. Known for his works in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, English, and Hindi-language films. he is the recipient of several accolades, including five National Film Awards, eight Nandi Awards, eight Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, six Filmfare Awards South, four SIIMA Awards, three CineMAA Awards, and three Vijay Awards. Apart from his native languages Tulu and Kannada, Raj's fluency in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, English, and Marathi has placed him among the most sought after actors in Indian cinema.
Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Telugu language, widely spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Based in Film Nagar, Hyderabad, Telugu cinema is the largest film industry in India by box-office revenue as of 2021. Telugu films sold 23.3 crore tickets in 2022, the highest among all Indian film industries. As of 2023, Andhra Pradesh has the highest number of movie screens in India.
Allu Arjun is an Indian actor who works in Telugu cinema. He has been featured in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list since 2014. Allu Arjun is a recipient of several awards including a National Film Award, six Filmfare Awards, and three Nandi Awards. He is popularly referred to as "Stylish Star" and "Icon Star". One of the highest-paid actors in Indian cinema, he is also known for his dancing.
Meka Srikanth is an Indian actor who is known for works predominantly in Telugu cinema. He has appeared in more than 120 films. The actor has received one state Nandi Award, and one Filmfare Award South. He has starred in films like Swarabhishekam, which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu for 2004. Srikanth's another film Virodhi premiered at the Indian panorama section, at the 2011 International Film Festival of India. Sri Rama Rajyam also had a special screening at International Film Festival of India on 28 November 2011. He has also appeared in some other language films including Kannada, Malayalam and Tamil films.
Ghattamaneni Siva Rama Krishna Murthy, known mononymously as Krishna, was an Indian actor, director, and producer known for his work in Telugu cinema. In a career spanning more than five decades, he starred in over 350 films in a variety of roles. He is referred to as "Superstar" and "Nata Sekhara" in the Telugu media. In 2009, for his contributions to Indian cinema the Indian government awarded him the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award in the country. He was elected as a Member of Parliament for the Congress party in 1989. In 1997, he received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South in addition to Honorary doctorate from Andhra University in 2008. He died on 15 November 2022 due to cardiac arrest.
Tamanna Bhatia, credited as Tamannaah Bhatia, is an Indian actress known for her work in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi cinema. She has acted in 85 films. She has received several awards, including two Santosham Film Awards, two SIIMA Award and the Kalaimamani Award. She is one of the highest-paid actresses in the Telugu and Tamil film industries.
Konidela Ram Charan is an Indian actor, film producer, and entrepreneur who primarily works in Telugu cinema. He is one of the highest-paid actors in Indian cinema and is also known for his dancing. He has featured in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list since 2013. Charan is the recipient of several awards, including four Filmfare Awards and two Nandi Awards.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Telugu and Tamil films. One of South India's highest-paid actresses, Samantha is the recipient of several accolades, including four Filmfare Awards South, two Nandi Awards and a Tamil Nadu State Film Award.
Datla Venkata Suryanarayana Raju, widely known as D. V. S. Raju, was an Indian film producer known for his work in Telugu cinema. He is credited with playing a pivotal role in relocating the Telugu film industry from Madras to Hyderabad. Over his career, he produced around 25 films, including successful Telugu productions such as Maa Babu (1960), Mangamma Sapadham (1965), Pidugu Ramudu (1966), Tikka Sankarayya (1968), Gandikota Rahasyam (1969), and Jeevana Jyothi (1975), as well as the Hindi film Mujhe Insaaf Chaahiye (1983).
