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Swag Now Streaming on Ott Just Three Weeks Post-Theatrical Release, Featuring Sree Vishnu in a Stellar Performance ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

The Telugu historical fiction comedy Swag has an ambitious premise, with lead actor Sreenu Vishnu taking on five different characters across five time periods, which earned him much praise. However, the movie has faced criticism for its writing and execution. Ritu Varma’s character has depth, and Meera Jasmine’s role and performance have also been widely appreciated. Many reviews say the core storyline is promising, but poor execution undermined the film’s potential. Vivek Sagar’s music is seen as average, though some found the background score fitting. For full details on the Ott release, scroll down.

Swag plot

Since the movie spans multiple storylines and periods, here’s a general outline to get you started. In the present day, Sree Vishnu plays a retired cop who suddenly receives...

The Karnataka coach has shown great tactical acumen in preparing his side for the battles in the knockout stage and that was evident in the way they pressurised Services in the midfield to win their semifinal clash 3-1 on Wednesday.

Now faced with an opponent that is equal in strength and a first-timer in the final, Ravi Babu has gone through videos of their opponent’s matches to plan for the summit clash as Karnataka plan to end a five-decade-long title drought in Santosh Trophy.

"Their defense is quite weak. So, we have to take them on the counter-attack," said Ravi Babu, adding "We have some ideas of how to play against Meghalaya. Meghalaya is a good team so they are basically very good. They have quality players, especially in the midfield and forward line. So we have prepared a strategy and we will play according to it. Then we...

CinemaThe actor had appeared in hundreds of films in a career spanning over six decades, and was last seen in the 2022 film ‘Bangarraju’. Tnm StaffChalapathi Rao: Twitter/BA Raju's TeamSenior Tollywood actor Chalapathi Rao passed away on the morning of Sunday, December 25, at his residence in Hyderabad. He suffered a cardiac arrest, according to reports. He was 78 years old. The actor was known for playing supporting roles including those of a comedian and villain in many Telugu movies. Chalapathi Rao is survived by his wife Indumathi, two daughters and his son Ravi Babu, who is also an actor and a filmmaker. Chalapathi Rao is among many veteran actors from the Telugu film industry who passed away this year, including Kaikala Satyanarayana, Krishna and Krishnam Raju. Chalapathi Rao was born in Balliparru village of Krishna district in 1944. He reportedly entered the Telugu film industry with the encouragement of senior actor Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao.

Tollywood‘Raja Raja Chora’ marks the directorial debut of filmmaker Hasith Goli.Tnm StaffScreengrab/YouTubeThe teaser of actor Sree Vishnu’s upcoming Telugu movie Raja Raja Chora was unveiled on Friday, June 18. Sharing the teaser with followers on social media, the Gaali Sampath actor wrote, “It’s my good fortune to play this character. I am promising you all that I will tickle your funny bone with this movie.” The teaser opens with a viral quote of self-styled godman Nithyananda: “So the me resides in this as me is residing in all of that as me. So that me, through this me is talking to me.” Sree Vishnu is seen as a thief, who is actually an engineering graduate named Rajavarapu Bhaskar Raju. The protagonist, who seems to be a software engineer by day and also a small-time thief, lands in trouble. How he manages to escape the hurdles that come his way,...

Tollywood While there are many homegrown directors who've made successful, offbeat films, there are also a few who have gone abroad to learn filmmaking.Rajeswari ParasaIn the last decade, several Telugu films have received critical acclaim. These films visibly deviate from the template Tollywood movie plots, and have made a distinct mark in the industry. They do not deal with hypermasculine supermen who can send the villains flying in the air, but with characters who grapple with everyday realities. Some of the directors have also acted in films, playing various roles. While there are many homegrown directors who've made such successful, offbeat films, there are also a few who have gone abroad to learn filmmaking. Here's a list of Telugu directors who picked up their skills abroad. Tharun Bhascker: This director, who shot to fame with the Vijay Deverakonda and Ritu Varma starrer Pelli Choopulu, is a graduate from the...

TollywoodOn the eve of Tanish's birthday, the makers released the teaser of the film which was launched by Sai Dharam Tej. Digital NativeTanish Alladi turned out to be a household name during the initial days of Telugu Bigg Boss season 2. Now, the actor is all set to take Telugu audiences on an emotional ride with Mahaprasthanam which is being directed by Jhony who had earlier directed horror thriller Anthaku Minchi starring Rashmi Gautam in the lead role. On the eve of Tanish's birthday, the makers released the teaser of the film which was launched by Sai Dharam Tej. Releasing the teaser, he tweeted saying," Wish you a very happy birthday @IAmTanishAlladi ... Here's the teaser of #MahaPrasthanam kudos to the team for a new effort https://youtu.be/QxoGl5yOd1A Directed by #Jhony Produced by #OmkharreshwaraCreations Music by @kasyapsunil6 #MahaprasthanamTeaser #HappyBirthdayTanish Wish you a very happy birthday @IAmTanishAlladi ... Here's the...

TollywoodThe film will be directed by debutante Hasith Goli.Digital NativeTollywood actor Sree Vishnu has worked with quite a few new directors in his career, his next venture too will be directed by newcomer Hasith Goli. Incidentally, Hasith Goli and Sree Vishnu share a good rapport as the former had penned lyrics for the latter’s films such as Mental Madhilo and Brochevarevarura. The first look poster of Raja Raja Chora was released out online recently and has captured the attention of the film buffs. Tg Vishwaprasad and Abhishek Agarwal are bankrolling the film under their respective banners People Media Factory and Abhishek Agarwal Arts. Speaking about the film, one of its producers Tg Vishwaprasad has said in an interview with the Deccan Chronicle, “We are happy to work with talented people like Sree Vishnu and Hasith Goli. We have completed one schedule of the shoot and more work is going on.

TollywoodThe film has Ravi Babu and Neha Chauhan playing lead roles. Digital NativeThe first look of Ravi Babu’s upcoming film Aaviri has raised curiosity among film buffs. The poster features a woman in a pressure cooker with the lid open. Her wide and scary eyes promise it to be an intriguing tale. Even the concept poster, featuring a woman in a smoky jar with a claw opening the lid and letting out the smoke, garnered attention in a big way. From the posters released so far, it could be easily deciphered that the film will be a horror thriller. Well, this has been confirmed by the teaser that was released recently. Releasing the one minute-long teaser, the official Twitter handle of the production house Sri Venkateswara Creations posted, “What if you have an unknown company in a house you are living in? How do you spot The Spirit? Tell...

TollywoodThe movie is expected to hit the marquee in October. Digital NativeRavi Babu’s next film in the pipeline is titled Aaviri. The first look poster of the film has been launched and it looks intriguing. The poster features a woman in a pressure cooker with the lid open. Her wide and scary eyes promise an interesting tale. Interestingly, the concept poster that was released earlier also garnered the attention of the film buffs in a big way. It features a woman in a smoky jar with a claw opening the lid, letting out the smoke. From the posters released so far it is evident that the film will be a thriller. While Ravi Babu will be playing the main lead in it, Neha Chauhan, Sri Mukhtha, Bharani Shankar and Mukthar Khan will be debuting as actors with Aaviri. Veteran producer Dil Raju is presenting Aaviri under his banner Sri Venkateswara Creations...

TollywoodRavi Babu is the director of the film, the maker of 2002 hit movie 'Allari'.Digital NativeThe first look poster of Aaviri has been released recently and it is quite intriguing. The poster features a woman dancing in a glass jar while someone with long and scary fingernails opens it up. The poster does not give away any further details and looks like the filmmakers are intent on keeping up the suspense factor. The poster released on social media platforms came up with the caption, “First look poster of #Aaviri - Film by the director known for the offbeat films, #RaviBabu! A Flying Frogs Production!” Aaviri is directed by Ravi Babu and is being bankrolled under the banner Flying Frogs Production. Ravi Babu is a multi-faceted film personality having tried stints in acting, direction and production. He has directed 12 films, bankrolled five, and donned the greasepaint for a few as well.

Chennai, April 6: Playing an extremely fat character in Telugu comedy "Laddu Babu" was a Herculean task for Allari Naresh as he needed to spend six hours everyday to wear prosthetic make-up for the role.

His character weighs over 200kg in the movie, directed by Ravi Babu.

"The character that I play in the film weighs over 200 kg. I had to wear layers of prosthetic make-up to look fat. It used to take me almost six hours every day to wear the make-up and another few hours to remove it," Naresh told Ians.

"Playing the role was extremely tough because moving freely was a challenge with the make-up. I had to wear bigger shoes.

Chennai, March 24: Allari Naresh will be seen playing an extremely fat character in upcoming Telugu romantic-comedy "Laddu Babu". Director Ravi Babu says the actor struggled to manage the prosthetic make-up, but the result was successful.

"Usually make-up for a role in films last few hours and days. But since Naresh plays an extremely fat character, we had to use a lot of prosthetic make-up. He had to stay in it for so many hours in a day and he carried the look for almost 70 days," Ravi Babu told Ians.

"He literally struggled to carry the weight of the make-up on his body. There were times he would fall off not being.

Chennai, July 2: Allari Naresh is set to play an obese character in tentatively titled upcoming Telugu romantic-comedy "Laddu Boy" and his look is being designed by a London based prosthetic make-up artist.

"We did a trial make-up shoot in London recently and it turned out well. The look of the character is very important to the story and, therefore, I wanted a professional to handle it. Naresh will undergo go a lot of transformation for the role," Ravi Babu, director of the film, told Ians.

The director adds that it will be a very challenging role for Naresh.

"He (Naresh) is lean and tall in real life, but we need.

Chennai, June 30: Even five months after he expressed an interest in remaking Telugu suspense-thriller "Avunu" in Hindi, filmmaker Ravi Babu hasn't succeeded in his endeavour to find a suitable female protagonist for the project.

Poorna played the leading lady in "Avunu", which is about supernatural presence in the house of a newlywed couple.

"I still haven't found the perfect replacement for Poorna. I can't start until I find the perfect substitute. I'm not in a hurry to start the Hindi remake. When the time is right, I will start working on it. For now, I'm busy with my Telugu project," Ravi told Ians.

Initially, Anushka.

Film: "Maranthen Mannithen"; Actors: Aadi Pinisetty, Taapsee Pannu, Lakshmi Manchu, Sundeep Kishan and Ravi Babu; Director: Kumar Nagendra; Rating: ***

We have had so many love stories in Indian cinema over the years that we have literally lost interest in sitting through one more love story, no matter how well made. The reason being the utter lack of innovation in presentation to keep the audience engaged.

Debut director Kumar Nagendra's "Maranthen Mannithen" (Mm), Tamil dubbed version of Telugu film "Gundello Godari", which is based on a book by Bvs Rama Rao, narrates a love story against the backdrop of the Godavari floods of 1986. Even though at heart, Mm is a love story, the path it takes to narrate is far different.

Chennai, March 12: Lakshmi Manchu's Telugu romantic-drama "Gundello Godari", a love story set against the Godavari 1986 floods, has raked in Rs.14.83 crore in its opening weekend worldwide.

The film released March 8.

"The film, which was approximately made on a budget of Rs.45 crore has collected Rs.14.83 crore in its opening weekend all over," trade analyst Trinath told Ians.

Starring Aadhi Pinisetty, Lakshmi Manchu, Tapsee Pannu and Sundeep Kishan, the film is directed by debutant Kumar Nagendra. It also features Ravi Babu, Suja Varunee, Jeeva, Annapurna and Mumaith Khan.

The film has music by maestro Illayaraja.

Film: "Mr. Pellikoduku"; Actors: Sunil Varma, Isha Chawla, Vincent, Ali, Dharmavarapu Subramanyam, L.B Sriram, Ahuti Prasad, M.S Narayana and Ravi Babu; Director: Devi Prasad; Rating: **

Not all remakes are as good as the original. In fact, most remakes fall short of expectations set by its original, and in that list, comes "Mr. Pellikoduku", the Telugu remake of "Tanu weds Manu".

As much as it tries not to be a frame-to-frame copy, sadly, all that it manages to do by the end is persuade its audiences to go back home and re-visit the original. Neither is the film as lively as its original, nor are the lead characters as adorable as R.Madhavan and Kangna Ranaut.

Buchi Babu, played by Sunil, is the ideal son any parents.

Chennai, Jan 12: Southern actor-filmmaker Ravi Babu says he will start working on the Hindi remake of Telugu horror-thriller "Avunu" only after he finds a suitable actress for the lead role.

"I want the perfect replacement for Poorna in the remake. I can't go with any of the senior artists because the story demands a young actress. Therefore, until I find a suitable actress, I won't start the project," Babu told Ians.

Southern actress Poorna aka Shamna Kasim, played the title role in "Avunu", which is the story of a young woman who begins to feel the presence of an unknown force in her new house.

The film, which was written, directed.

Chennai, Nov 19: Is language not a criterion for actresses to gain entry into films? If yes, then why do most top heroines in the southern film industry rely on voice actors?

Ians finds out answers to these questions from some members of the film fraternity.

Telugu actor−filmmaker Ravi Babu, known for films such as "Nuvvila" and "Avunu", has worked with actresses such as Yami Gautham, Bhumika Chawla and Shamna Kasim aka Poorna over the years and says fingers can't be pointed at the actresses because they're hardly given time to even make the effort to learn the language.

"It's unfortunate but we can't blame the actresses..

Chennai, Nov 18: "Ra Ra" is not a run−of−the−mill love story, clarifies debutant Telugu director Sudhir Verma and adds that it has spine−chilling moments that will entertain viewers.

"My film may appear as a cliched love story, but it's not. The story revolves around a lost deity and the characters that are on the run to find it. It's a crime−thriller with lots of scope for humour, which we included to impress all sections of the audience," Sudhir told Ians.

Shot in places such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Hyderabad, "Ra Ra" stars Nikhil, 'Colors' Swathi, Ravi Babu, Jeeva and Praveen.

The film, currently.

Chennai, Oct 4: After scaring the wits out of the audience in Telugu, the suspense-thriller "Avunu" is likely to be remade in Hindi and Anushka Sharma may be roped in for an important role.

Ravi Babu, who directed "Avunu", told Ians: "Talks are on to remake the film in Hindi, but at this moment everything is in the preliminary stage. I really can't add anything more. Anushka may play the role of the protagonist, but it is the producers who will.

Chennai, Sep 23: Actor-director Ravi Babu, who scared the living daylights out of the audience with his Telugu thriller "Avunu", promises that his next film will be a light-hearted entertainer.

"My last film ('Avunu') was for open family audiences, however, my next film will be for the entire family. I haven't started working on the script yet, but it will be a full-length comedy film", Ravi told Ians.

Inspired by a real life story, "Avunu" was the director's third thriller after "Anasuya" and "Amaravathi".

Poorna and Harshavardhan Rane played the lead roles in "Avunu", which released Sep 21 across Andhra Pradesh.

Meanwhile, the makers of "Avunu" are also planning to release the film in other languages.

"The.

Chennai, Sep 20: Telugu filmmaker Ravi Babu says his upcoming film "Avunu" will not fall in the horror genre.

"'Avunu' is a thriller, suspense film set within a small family with a good mix of scary and funny moments, but not a horror film," Ravi Babu told Ians.

The story of the film revolves around a family that begins to feel the presence of an unknown force in their house.

"It is based on a real life incident that happened to actress Yami Gautam..

Satish Films Corporation is producing film titled ‘Anjugam’ and it’s original version in Telugu was named as ‘Amaravathi’. The film has Bhoomika Chawla, Sneha, Ravi Babu and Taarak in lead roles. Sudhakar Reddy has handled cinematography and Sekhar Chandira has composed music. K. Ravi has penned dialogues for the Tamil version and Satish Devi Sri Devi has produced this film, which is directed by Ravi Babu apart from handling story and screenplay.

Touted to be a psychological thriller, the film is based on a guy’s atrociousness for the sake of winning the heart of his girl.

The film is hitting screens next month and promotional activities are yet to kick-start here in Chennai shortly.

Well, for Sneha it’s gonna be heavy downpour of releases as other film ‘Bhavani Ips’ is also scheduled to hit screens shortly.

Former Miss India Sindhura Gadde began the traditional long march towards Bollywood fame and fortune that many beauty queens make with a debut in the luke-warm Sangamam last year. But now, with two top southern directors behind her, the road seems more secure. Her first movie off the blocks will be Amaravathi from Ravi Babu. A three-heroine script sees Sindhura in the frame with top stars Sneha and Bhumika.

Next up is a thriller from director Nagesh Naradasi. As yet untitled, it's another heroine-centered movie giving Sindhura a real chance to express herself. The rest of the cast include Tanikella Bharani, Vijay, Jeeva and Sai Kumar.

The actress, who followed Sayali Bhagat as Miss India, was raised in New Zealand, where she studied pharmacology and physiology. She has talked about how winning Miss India has helped her in her preparation as an actress. "Miss India has helped me a lot...