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Telugu cinema

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South Asian cinema

Tollywood (టాలీవుడ్) refers to the Telugu film industry. The origins of the name are disputed, but it is generally considered an amalgamation of "Telugu" and "Hollywood". It is the second largest movie industry in India[1].

Industry

(1 crore = 10,000,000 rupees, approximately US$ 225,124 on Dec 06, 2006.)

The Telugu movie Industry is the second largest film Industry in India, the first being Bollywood. Among regional film industries Telugu Film Industry is the biggest. The Telugu movie industry is based in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India.

Currently, about 243 Telugu movies are released every year with approximately 3 releases every week. As like with any other film industry telugu movie industry produces all kinds of movies. However a below average number of good movies continue to be released every year. In 2005, the annual turnover reached Rs. 2.3 Billion ($52 Million) on ticket sales of 700 million. Popular movies tend to open during the three festive/holiday seasons of the region: Sankranthi, Summer, and Dushera. In 2004, the total business for the Sankranthi season was around Rs. 1.5 Billion (150 Crores). There are at least three TV channels that are dedicated exclusively to feature programs related to Telugu movies. The bad thing about telugu cinema is over violence and all

Below is a chart of box office collections of Tollywood with figures in millions of Indian Rupees.

Year Tollywood Box Office
1980 819
1985 1,526
1990 3,333
1995 7,985
2000 14,011
2005 23,044

The Telugu film industry accounts for 1% of the gross domestic product of Andhra Pradesh[2].

History

Early development: 1921-1930

The Telugu film industry originated with the silent film in 1921, with the production of Bhisma Pratighna. The film was directed by Raghupati Venkaiah and his son R.S. Prakash[3]. The two would go on to produce and direct dozens of films throughout the decade, casting theater actors in major roles[4]. They established a long-lasting precedent of focusing exclusively on religious themes; Nandanar[5], Gajendra Moksham, and Matsyavatar, three of their most famous productions, centered on religious figures, parables, and morals[6].

Rise of the Talkie: 1931-1947

In 1931, the first Telugu film with audible dialogue, Bhakta Prahlad, was produced by H.M. Reddy[7]. Popularly known as 'talkies', films with sound quickly grew in number and fanbase. In 1934, the industry saw its first major commercial success with Lavakusa. Directed by C. Pullaiah and starring Parupalli Subbarao and Sriranjani in lead roles, the film attracted unprecedented numbers of viewers to theaters and thrust the young film industry into mainstream culture[8].

By 1936, the mass appeal of film allowed directors to move away from religious and mythological themes[9]. That year, under the direction of Krithiventi Nageswara Rao, Prema Vijayam, a film focusing on social issues, was released. Its success prompted the production of dozens of other immensely successful 'social films', notably 1939's Vandemataram and Malli Pelli. Touching on societal problems like the status of Untouchables and the practice of giving dowry, Telugu films increasingly focused on contemporary living: twenty-nine of the ninety-six films released between 1937 and 1947 had social themes[10].

The outbreak of World War II and the subsequent resource scarcity caused the British Raj to impose a limit on the use of filmstrip in 1943 to 11,000 feet[11], a sharp reduction from the 20,000 feet that was common till then[12]. As a result, the number of films produced during the War was substantially lower than in previous years. Nonetheless, prior to the ban, an important shift occurred in the industry: independent studios formed, actors and actresses were signed to contracts limiting who they could work for, and films moved from social themes to folklore legends[13]. 1942's Balanagamma typified these changes: the film featured fantasy elements of cultural lore, was produced by Gemini Studios, and its producers added a restricting clause to the lead actress' contract. By 1947, nearly all films were produced by studios with contracted actors.

Budgets

(1 crore = 10,000,000 rupee, approximately US$230,000 or €190,000 on May 11, 2005.)
File:TeluguMovieSuper.jpg
Akkineni Nagarjuna as Akhil in Super (2005).

The budgets for Telugu movies typically range between 7-15 crores per film. Pre-lease revenues for popular films can range between 12-20 crores per film and post-release business for these movies can be around 25-40 crores depending on the success of the movie. Popular actors like Megastar Chiranjeevi,Balakrishna, Akkineni Nagarjuna, Venkatesh, Mahesh Babu, Pawan Kalyan, and Jr.NTR are some of the highest paid actors in Tollywood. Singers: Telugu film industry has the repute of producing many singers like Ghantasala and S.P.Bala Subramanyam. S.P.B holds the record singing maximum number of songs (39000 songs approximately)

Fans

Well-known stars of Tollywood have devoted fan followings in the South.Feroz Nath Khosla ,Nandamuri Taraka Ramarao,Akkineni Nageswara Rao,Krishna, Chiranjeevi, Nandamuri Balakrishna, Akkineni Nagarjuna, Venkatesh,Pawan Kalyan, Mahesh Babu and Jr.NTR are very popular and enjoy a significant fan following among the Telugu movie audience. Presently Chiranjeevi is the highest paid actor in telugu industry with remuneration ranging to 12- 15 crores. He is also the one who redefined the telugu movie in terms of budget levels at the international level.

Trivia

  • 80 Telugu films were made in the first five years after the release of Bhakta Prahlada.
  • The long-time Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N. T. Rama Rao, was an alumnus of Tollywood.
  • Pokiri, a 2006 film starring Mahesh Babu, is currently the highest grossing fim in South Indian Film(app Rs. 66.5 crores gross, Rs. 48 crores share).

See also

References

  1. ^ http://osdir.com/ml/culture.region.india.zestmedia/2007-01/msg00117.html
  2. ^ http://osdir.com/ml/culture.region.india.zestmedia/2007-01/msg00117.html
  3. ^ http://www.totaltollywood.com/articles/history/index.php?id=1
  4. ^ http://www.cinegoer.com/telugucinema8.htm
  5. ^ http://www.indiafilm.com/lm.htm
  6. ^ http://www.tamilentertainment.com/Memories/98/fna/fna1.htm
  7. ^ http://www.idlebrain.com/research/anal/anal-his2.html
  8. ^ http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2007/01/19/stories/2007011901020100.htm
  9. ^ http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2007/01/19/stories/2007011901020100.htm
  10. ^ http://www.cinegoer.com/telugucinema5.htm
  11. ^ http://www.cinegoer.com/telugucinema7.htm
  12. ^ http://www.cinegoer.com/telugucinema10.htm
  13. ^ http://www.cinegoer.com/telugucinema6.htm
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