Tollywood 2015: Stars who rocked the screen this year
It was the year of the mega production – Baahubali which saw unprecedented box-office success. Other films like Srimanthudu and S/O Sathymurthy also achieved hit status. Here are the stars who rode the wave of success in Telugu cinema in 2015.
Prabhas
The big budget, extravagantly produced Baahubali was a wave that swept the Telugu industry this year, a phenomenon if ever there was one. Naturally, its lead star, who played the title role, saw his ratings soar. Prabhas devoted a year and more for the film and is now busy with the sequel, Baahubali: The Conclusion, as well.
Mahesh Babu
The Prince made it back to the top-of-the-charts this year, after a string of nondescript films. It was thanks to Srimanthudu, in which Mahesh Babu played a rich young man who eventually decides to make a difference to the underserved. The film was declared a super-hit and Mahesh Babu announced he was enjoying the success.
Allu Arjun
Trivikram Srinivas’s family drama S/O Satyamurthy was Allu Arjun’s ticket to success this year. The film went to become a box-office hit and all Allu Arjun’s hard work – he lost kilos and trained intensively for the stunts – seem to have paid off. A critic wrote that Allu Arjun ‘shoulders the film with his remarkable performance and seems to be getting better with each film.’ Fans loved him even more when he became one of the first stars to reach out to the rain-affected in Chennai.
NTR Jr
NTR Jr played safe this year, teaming up for Temper with hit-maker Puri Jagannath. Fans loved him in the role of a dubious cop who then turns over a new leaf. With romance (Kajal Aggarwal played NTR Jr’s love interest), high-energy action and drama, this was a full-on entertainer and saw the actor hold his place among Tollywood’s top stars.
Pawan Kalyan
His politics has been making news of late, but this year also saw Pawan Kalyan feature in Gopala Gopala, which was a spectacular box-office hit. The actor didn’t have any releases last year and displayed his star power, returning to the big screen with Gopala Gopala. He’ll next be seen in the sequel to his hugely popular Gabbar Singh.
Rana Daggubati
This year, a role in the blockbuster Baahubali meant an assured place among the top performers in Tollywood. Rana Daggubati cashed in on the success of the film and also starred in another period piece, Rudhramadevi. The handsome star also featured in the Akshay Kumar-starrer Baby this year.
Nani
The unlikely Telugu hero proved again that you don’t always have to play superhero and pull off impossible stunts. Nani played the lead role in Bhale Bhale Magadivoy, a romantic comedy and one of the most successful films of the year. Critics loved him and said Nani is ‘a talent to watch’.
Raj Tarun
Young talent Raj Tarun made his entry into cinema with short films. The actor who made his Tollywood debut with Uyyala Jampala featured this year in Cinema Choopista Maava and Kumari 21F. Both films won critical praise as well as audience applause and Raj Tarun announced that he’s here to stay.
Anushka Shetty
In the hero-dominated Telugu film industry, Anushka Shetty has held her own for some years now. While most actresses are consigned to being mere hunk accessories, she’s managed to bag heroine-centric roles and this year was no different. Anushka Shetty had a significant role in Baahubali and also played the title role in Rudhramadevi. She won praise also for her performance in Size Zero, even if the film didn’t quite make waves at the box-office.
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