The creation of Telangana State in 2014 has opened new vistas for positive portrayal of the state’s less-known distinct traditions, literature, arts, culture and heritage. This is a far cry from the days when even the Telangana dialect of Telugu language was derided and subject to mockery in the name of humour in films, literature and other media. Experts blamed it on the tinsel town bigwigs who hailed mainly from the coastal Andhra region and dominated the good old Telugu film industry. Things have changed vastly post bifurcation. The Pioneer’s Amartya Smaran looks at the winds of change blowing in the Telugu film industry giving Telangana its due and much more in all respects.
The Telangana region, with its treasure trove of enchanting art forms, traditions, culture, and heritage, couldnot shine in the glamorous film world until it attained a distinct identity. Post-bifurcation, films representative of Telangana culture, with actors unabashedly picking up Telangana dialect and stories being set in urban or rural Telangana, have become trendy. Striking while the iron is hot, the Bharat Rashtra Samiti government has started promoting films that portray the state’s rich culture and heritage. The Department of Language and Culture has taken initiatives that would bring the best out of aspiring filmmakers. As things stand today, Telangana dialect is getting its due and more.
Superstars like Mahesh Babu, Pawan Kalyan and more recently Ravi Teja from Waltair Veerayya mouthed lines in Telangana dialect. The view that films with Telangana backdrop are equated with art house films has been dislodged from the minds of people. Now, Telugu flicks are mainstream entertainers in which the masala elements are Telangana and its attributes.
When famous producer Dil Raju greenlit Balagam (March 3, 2023) – a film that put Telangana traditions and customs on the map as no other flick did in recent years – he might not have imagined that Venu Yeldandi’s directorial debut would bring together an entire family that lived apart for 45 years. Nor would the makers have imagined that villagers would sit outdoors, look straight at the projector screens, and cry their hearts out.
Expressing his joy, TS Industries Minister KT Rama Rao said, “Thanks to (Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao)KCR for the renaissance on the cultural front. A dialect that was made fun of is now taking centre-stage.”
One month after its release, Balagamis still playing in theatres to sizeable audiences. The film is credited for reviving forgotten family values with an undertone that petty in-house politics only lead to misery. Set in Siricilla (a town in Telangana), Balagam looks at the many conflicts that arise within a family after the sudden demise of the patriarch. While focusing on the conflicts, the director skillfully manages to capture the true essence of Telangana’s traditions. Balagam’s deep-rootedness is one of the major reasons for its success.
Exactly 27 days after the release of Balagam, Natural Star Nani’’s Dasara set the box office ablaze. Nani entrusted Srikanth Odela, a first-time director and native of Peddapalli who grew up in and around Godavarikhani, with the mammoth task of pulling off the unimaginable. Dasara was inspired by real-life incidents that occurred in Veerlapalle village and the film revolves around the lives of Dharani (Nani), Soori (Deekshith Shetty), and Vennela (Keerthy Suresh). Nani and everyone in the film had to deliver the dialogues in authentic Godavarikhani slang.
The film is receiving great feedback not only for its entertainment value but also its authentic representation of the lives of people who reside in the vicinity of Singareni coal mines near Godavarikhani. As per sources, the film grossed Rs 92 crore in just five days of its release and is still going strong.
Both Balagam and Dasara are rooted in the traditions of Telangana and have captured the minds of all viewers. Rather than exploiting regional aberrations to pander to sections of people, these films depict honest stories without being overtly preachy.
“I’m an emotional person by nature,” said Balagam’s director Venu Yeldandi in an exclusive interview with The Pioneer, talking about what propelled him to direct the film. “If you take a trip down memory lane and check out my scripts in Jabardasth (weekly comedy show), I never performed normal skits. Back in 2013, we took up Burra Katha, Oggu Katha, and Hari Katha. I mean I’d always focus on taking up unique and rooted subjects.
I like anything that’s rooted in its tradition and culture. I try to stay away from urban sensibilities. If one observes my behavior, one can make it out that I’m not trying to go astray from my sensibilities. For some reason, all this comes second nature to me.”
Ultimately, the spotlight is back on Telangana culture which was once looked down upon and ignored by mass entertainers, especially before the formation of the Telangana State. University of Hyderabad associate professor Sathya Prakash Elavarthi and doctoral scholar Himabindu Chintakunta, in their article Disruption and Reconstitution of Spectatorial Pleasures in Telugu Cinema, write: The signifying practices of Telugu cinema were predominantly coded in Andhra ‘aesthetics’ and the sub-regional cultural dynamics were neglected. They back it up with the examples of films like Jayammu Nischayammu Raa (1990) and Mondi Mogudu Penki Pellam (1992), where the language and the culture of Telangana were ridiculed to a great extent.
In a conversation with The Pioneer, Dr. Harikrishna Mamidi, Director, Department of Language and Culture, Government of Telangana, shares that when the film industry was beginning to shift its base from Madras to Hyderabad in the 80s, the domination of the producers, directors, technicians, and actors from the coastal Andhra regions was at its peak due to the already established stars and studios owned by them. He believes that intentionally or unintentionally, the land’s culture was ignored.
The perception that a person with accent on Telangana dialect of Telugu isn’t cultured enough or doesn’t speak a respectable language doesn’t prevail at large nowadays, thanks to the new age directors like Tharun Bhascker (Pelli Choopulu, 2016), Sandeep Reddy Vanga (Arjun Reddy, 2017), Vishwak Sen (Faluknama Das, 2019), Raj Rachakonda (Mallesham, 2019), Uday Gurrala (Mail, 2021), and Venu Udugula (Virata Parvam, 2022) to name a few. Although Sekhar Kammula made his foray into the film world way before these youngsters, his films Fida (2017) and Love Story (2021) deal with the Telangana culture and its people.
The foregoing is not to suggest that yesteryear filmmakers haven’t contributed at all. We acknowledge their efforts to tell culturally rooted stories largely from a different part of the land of Telugus.
There was a time when the role of an antagonist in a film would be played by an actor with an exaggerated accent in Telangana dialect. Dr. Harikrishna Mamidi observes: “We were confined to the roles of villains and comedians for a long period. This started with Ram Gopal Varma’s Shiva (1989), which is considered to be a cult classic. In the name of mafia and student politics in Hyderabad, he has taken the backdrop of Hyderabadi people and their lifestyle and language and misrepresented them by portraying them as goondas. This became a common practice for every other movie. Our language and lifestyle have been dishonoured.”
In Telangana’s fight for a separate state, Dr. Harikrishna says that the self-respect of the people of Telangana has strengthened. As a result, people have started taking a stand for their culture and are opposed to any kind of misrepresentation. There were instances where certain movies were banned from being played in theatres.
“People have agitated against those movies that underrated Telangana culture, lifestyle, and language in films,” says Dr. Harikrishna Mamidi. “Films like Bathukamma and Jai Bolo Telangana clicked at the box office and other filmmakers followed the same plot (feudal oppression) for quite some time now that cinema is a sentimental industry (laughs). However, they did not succeed at the box-office and did not get the approval.”
Post-bifurcation, a paradigm shift took place and Telangana artistes gained a lot of support from people and industry. The Telangana Department of Language and Culture took up the ‘Cinivaram’ initiative under the supervision of Dr. Harikrishna Mamidi. He felt it was the need of the hour to create a platform for youngsters to portray their talent. The Director, Department of Language and Culture, said: “We picked the short films that were portraying Telangana culture and lifestyle. By doing so we wanted to encourage new talent and we conducted several filmmaking workshops in order to fine tune their skills.”
A milestone moment occurred in the form of Tharun Bhascker’s Pelli Choopulu (2016). Actors Vijay Deverakonda, Priyadarshi, and Rahul Ramakrishna were all associated with the Department of Language and Culture, and the department further introduced around 12 talented young directors like KVR Mahindra, Uday Gurrala, Vijay Kumar Badugu et al.
Dr. Harikrishna Mamidi’s point is that Hyderabad has always been a progressive filmmaking hub. He says the 7th Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan, was appreciative of cinema and even introduced the concept of award ceremony and started giving out awards in 1942 itself. However, the progressiveness took a back step after the formation of United Andhra Pradesh for various reasons. He says the success of these films is just the beginning and there is a lot more to achieve in the forthcoming future.
Shyam Benegal’s Ankur (1974) starring Shabana Azmi and Anant Nag put the feudalistic lifestyle and tendencies of the landlords in Telangana on the map. The film was entirely shot at Rangareddy. With Ankur, Shyam Benegal created ripples across the nation and reignited the second wave of Indian Parallel cinema. It was in 1980 that a young dynamic director named B. Narsing Rao produced a film called Maa Bhoomi, which explores the feudal system of the then Hyderabad State. The film was a sensation and B. Narsing Rao went on to direct a series of films (Rangula Kala (1983), Maa Ooru (1987), Daasi (1989), Matti Manushulu (1990), et at.) which aimed at showcasing the life and struggle of the Telangana people.
Ananda Chakrapani, who acted in B. Narsing Rao’s Daasi (1989), began his second innings in the film industry with Mallesham (2019) precisely after 30 long years. Both the films have Telangana as their backdrop and the actor shared his views.
“These films won a lot of awards, but they were not commercially successful,” opines Ananda Chakrapani. “We have a great culture and literature here in Telangana but all of that was ignored for a long time. It really helped to regain the lost glory post bifurcation. We’ve picked up the courage to tell stories. People would think Telangana guys have no culture and tradition at all, and before bifurcation, a lot of these films that were released had a routine plot.”
The Daasi actor is of the opinion that people were really fed up with the run of the mill cinema. After the bifurcation, people realised the importance of the land’s tradition. He says the spotlight is back on Telangana-centric stories post bifurcation. The thespian also takes pride in saying that Mallesham, which is a biopic of Chintakindi Mallesham, brings to the fore family values. “It is about a son’s love towards his mother,” the actor said.
Talking about Balagam, the Mallesham actor said, “There’s life in that film. People prefer realistic cinema and they’ve waiting to see something new. There are a lot of stories to be told and a history to be explored in our land. People are still watching Balagam even after it’s on the OTT platform. It’s not a small thing. It shows that everyone is able to connect deeply with the film on a personal level.”
In fact, Ananda Chakrapani says even stars like Nani in Dasara and Power Star Pawan Kalyan are now speaking with a Telangana accent in their films. “From absolute ridicule and ignorance to love and respect. That’s what we’ve achieved over the past few years,” enthused the Vakeel Saab actor.“Everybody can tell their version of the story,” shares Rathan, a film scholar from EFLU (English and Foreign Languages University). “We’re getting better with each passing day. Regional films will give us an opportunity to explore other cultures. Be it Balagam or Dasara, we see a lot of culture in it. Everything from the cuisine to family bonding is covered in regional and mainstream films. A decade ago, all of that was taken for granted. And it’s a beautiful thing that they are exploring the culture.”
“The more rooted you are, the wider reach your content will have!” observes Rathan. “Accessibility to technology and theatre! These things were missing. And it’s a fact that industry was taken over by businessmen and they created a monopoly. Now people have access to technology and reach their target audience in any which way they want. We get to see a lot of short films. We can say short films brought in a lot of changes. Local stuff reaches the global audience. Now everybody knows what Telangana culture is all about.”
Rathan’s says it is high time stereotypes were broken. “Films that educate people about culture should be made.
I hope something on Rayalaseema will also break all the stereotypes like how Telangana films did. That’s an unexplored territory right now. We are still stuck at Samarasimha Reddy (1999), Narasimha Naidu (2001), Maryada Ramanna (2010), Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava (2018). What is it? It’s all about faction, faction and faction! People are trying to break it but it’s not easy. However, it’s a good sign for filmmakers and the film industry. The tradition of making films about our culture should continue.”
In today’s world, it’s no longer about my culture or your culture. We should look beyond all cultures and make it our own. A majority of us who walked into the theatres to watch Kantara had no clue about the practices of Bhoota Kola and the tradition of Kambala. It was only after watching the film that we all understood that the tradition is practised in the Kadabettu region of Dakshin Kannad. The 400-odd crores that the film collected is proof that we all owned the film like it’s our own. Likewise, it is possible to blur the regional lines while highlighting the core of culture and tradition specific to a place.
