Underrated Telugu Movies: Despite Good Stories, These Films Failed Miserably at the Box Office!

Typically, the story holds primary importance for any film. Without good content, even the biggest stars can’t guarantee a movie’s success. However, some films in Tollywood remain a mystery to this day. Despite having amazing stories and star heroes, these films unexpectedly faced failures, leading to losses for the producers who had high hopes for them. Let’s look at some of those Telugu films that came with great stories but didn’t do well.

Orange

Directed by Bommarillu Bhaskar and starring Ramcharan, ‘Orange‘ was a unique concept film that bombed disastrously at the box office. The reason behind its failure remains a mystery. Recently, the film was re-released, and it received a special response from the audience. Film lovers say that ‘Orange’ was not meant for those times and would have been a blockbuster if it were released now.

Awe!

Directed by Prasanth Varma of Hanu Man fame, ‘Awe!’ presents a novel story that offers a unique experience. Many viewers commented online that it would have been great to watch this film in theaters. The concept revolves around Kali, a girl suffering from multiple personality disorder, who creates a character for every feeling she experiences, attempting to communicate her emotions through them. Despite being an exceptional movie, it did not succeed commercially.

C/o Kancharapalem

Released without much expectation, ‘C/o Kancharapalem‘ garnered an unexpected response from the audience. However, more people watched this movie on OTT platforms than in theaters. The film is a collection of four love stories that begin in Kancharapalem, showing how these stories turn the lives of the couples involved. Directed by Venkatesh Maha, the film touches the heart deeply.

Ante Sundaraniki

Starring Nani and Nazriya as the leads, and directed by the distinctive director Vivek Athreya, ‘Ante Sundaraniki‘ connected well with the audience. The story is about Sundar (Nani), a Brahmin boy who falls in love with Leela (Nazriya Nazim) from another religion. They lie to their families for marriage, leading to complications. Despite Nani’s different performance compared to his previous films, this movie did not achieve commercial success.

Appatlo Okadundevadu

Starring Nara Rohit and Sree Vishnu, ‘Appatlo Okadundevadu‘ is a heart-touching film with a compelling story. It narrates the journey of a young man dreaming of becoming a cricketer, who gets embroiled in a criminal case and faces trouble from a police officer, who eventually helps him. The climax twist is sure to bring tears to the audience’s eyes. Yet, this film resulted in losses at the box office.

Karma

‘Adivi Sesh‘s debut film ‘Karma‘ failed at the box office but scored high TRP ratings during its television premieres. The hero in this movie possesses supernatural powers.

1: Nenokkadine

Directed by Sukumar and starring Mahesh Babu, ‘1: Nenokkadine‘ left the audience confused. By the time people understood the movie, it had already been declared a disaster. The story revolves around a man with a traumatic past, haunted by certain thoughts, leading to unexpected twists in his life. Interestingly, this film gained appreciation after being telecasted on TV.

Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi

‘Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi‘ brings a smile just by mentioning its name. It’s a movie many want to rewatch multiple times, especially after its OTT release, as it didn’t receive much attention in theaters. The film, trending on OTT, is frequently watched during boring times, with characters that everyone can connect with.

Vedam

Starring Allu Arjun, Manchu Manoj, and Anushka Shetty, ‘Vedam‘ is considered a feel-good movie by those who watched it. However, commercially, it was a flop. Directed by Krish, the film did not receive financial success, leaving the producers in loss.

Khaleja

‘Khaleja‘ had all the elements needed for a hit – star heroes and heroines, a strong story, good music, and excellent direction, yet it failed. Viewers wonder why this movie flopped even after watching it on TV. The story is about a village plagued by an unknown disease, leading to many deaths, where the villagers believe a deity will save them. They discover divine powers in cab driver Raju. What happens next is the crux of the story.

Republic

Starring Sai Dharam Tej and directed by the unique filmmaker Deva Katta, the film “Republic” made its way to the audience. Based on the current social conditions, the director crafted this movie to show how a district collector should support the people. Despite being well-received by viewers, the film did not achieve commercial success. Diving into the story… Abhiram (Sai Dharam Tej), an IAS officer, takes up his duties in his own district. He focuses on the Tellaru reservoir, which has been under political influence for many years. What happened next? How did he sing the swan song to CM Vani’s (Ramya Krishnan) illegalities? That forms the crux of the story.

Mental Madilo

Directed by Vivek Athreya and starring Sree Vishnu, “Mental Madilo” (2017) also mesmerized the audience as a feel-good entertainer. Different from routine love stories, this film connected very well with the youth. Even though the movie was well-made, the producers faced difficulties. At the box office, it did not achieve the expected success. Moving on to the story… A young man without a stable mindset falls in love with two women. Faced with the situation of having to choose between them, what does he do? That is the essence of the story.