The first quarter of 2014 witnessed the release of a few Telugu biggies, including "Yevadu", "1 Nenokkadine", "Pandavalu Pandavalu Thummeda", "Heart "Attack" and "Legend". Some of these films turned out to be hits, while others failed to set the cash registers ringing.
Allu Arjun's "Race Gurram", which released this month, is doing fantastic business at the box office. Now, all eyes will be on the upcoming big films, which are set to hit the screens in the next eight months.
From Mahesh Babu's "Aagadu" to Ram Charan's "Govindudu Andarivadele", check out the list of the most-awaited upcoming Telugu films of 2014.
Aagadu
Mahesh Babu's "Aagadu" will be the actor's second release of the year after "1 Nenokkadine".
The Sankranti release failed to impress the audience and bit the dust at the box office. Now, the focus has shifted to Mahesh's upcoming film "Aagadu".
The film, touted as a commercial potboiler, is directed by Srinu Vaitla. This will be the second film together for the actor-director duo. Their last film "Dookudu" was a big box office success, which makes "Aagadu" one of the most-anticipated films of 2014.
Tamannaah plays the female lead opposite Mahesh Babu, while other cast members include Sonu Sood, Brahmanandam and Rajendra Prasad.
The action comedy entertainer is all set to hit the screens on 26 September.
Rabhasa/Joru (tentatively titled)
Jr NTR is currently working on director Santhosh Srinivas's upcoming film. The project, deemed as an action entertainer, will have Samantha and Pranitha in the female lead roles.
This will be Jr NTR's first film to hit the screens in 2014. The actor had two releases last year - "Baadshah" and "Ramayya Vastavayya." While "Baadshah" was a big hit, "RV" did not perform well at the box office.
Apparently, Jr NTR is taking extra efforts to make his upcoming film a successful one. The film is expected to hit the screens in July, nine months after "RV" released in 2013.
Oh My God remake and Gabbar Singh 2
"Power Star" Pawan Kalyan has committed to two projects - one is "Gabbar Singh 2" while the other is the Telugu remake of critically acclaimed Hindi film "Oh My God".
Both films have been announced but the shoots are yet to commence. Pawan, who floated his political party Jana Sena, is currently busy with the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
His filmy projects are expected to go on floors in May. However, there is no official announcement on the same. Earlier, it was reported that "Oh My God" will release on 2 October. But now, it is not clear if the film's team will be able to finish the project and release it on the slated date. There is no clarity regarding "Gabbar Singh 2" as well. One needs to wait until the elections are over to get some clarity on Pawan's film projects.
Manam
Akkineni multistarrer "Manam" will hit the screens on 23 May. The comedy drama flick was the last project of Akkineni Nageswara Rao, who passed away in January this year.
"Manam" has Nagarjuna, Naga Chaitanya, Shriya and Samantha in pivotal roles. There is buzz that Akhil, Nagarjuna and Amala's son, will do a cameo in the film. However, there is no confirmation on the same.
The film is directed by Vikram Kumar and is produced by Annapurna Studios.
Drushyam
Venkatesh's "Drushyam", the Telugu remake of hit Malayalam film "Drishyam", will be out in theatres during the Independence Day weekend.
The thriller drama, directed by Sri Priya, will have Meena reprising her role from the original version. Vankatesh will step into Mohanlal's shoes and will play the role of a married man with two children. Mohanlal's performance won accolades from all quarters and the film performed exceptionally well not just in India but also in overseas markets. It remains to be seen if "Drushyam" will impress the audience and strike gold at the box office.
Power
After the success of "Balupu", Ravi Teja will be next seen in "Power", directed by prominent screenplay writer KS Ravindra (Bobby).
The mass action comedy entertainer will have Hansika playing the female lead, opposite Ravi Teja. The film will also have Regina Cassandra, Brahmanandam and Kota Srinivasa Rao in pivotal roles.
Power is likely to release in June this year.
Rudhramadevi
Anushka Shetty's "Rudhramadevi" is a historic drama, directed by Gunasekhar of "Okkadu" fame. The film has Anushka appearing in the title role, while other cast members include Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Catherine Tresa and Jayaprakash Reddy.
The magnum opus is expected to release sometime in the third quarter of the year.
Govindudu Andarivadele
Ram Charan's "Govindudu Andarivadele" will hit theatres during the Dussehra festival period.
The family entertainer, directed by Krishna Vamsi, will have Kajal Aggarwal, Srikanth, Kamalinee Mukherjee and Rajkiran in important roles.
The first look posters of the film, which were released on the occasion of Ram Charan's birthday, have received positive feedback from fans.
"Govindudu Andarivadele" will be Ram Charan's second outing of the year after the hit flick "Yevadu". It will be interesting to see if Ram Charan will be able to continue his successful run with his upcoming project.
Tamil dubbed films
Apart from direct Telugu films, a number of dubbed films of popular Tamil stars will be releasing this year. Rajinikanth's "Vikramasimha" ("Kochadaiiyaan" in Tamil), Suriya's "Anjaan", Vijay's "Kaththi", Kamal Haasan's "Viswaroopam 2" and "Uttama Villain", Vikram's "Manoharudu" ("Ai" in Tamil) will be out in theatres in the coming months.
(Ed: VP)
