Tollywood (టాలీవుడ్) refers to the Telugu Film industry. It is the second largest movie industry in India. Tollywood refers for the state of Andra pradesh. the main language is Telugu.
Industry
The Telugu movie Industry is the biggest film Industry in India, second 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 240 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 an average number of good movies continue to be released every year.
Currently, about 240 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 an average number of good movies continue to be released every year.
In 2005, the annual turnover reached to 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 five television TV channels that are dedicated exclusively to feature programs related to Telugu movies.
The Telugu film industry accounts for 1% of the gross domestic product of Andhra Pradesh.
The Telugu film industry accounts for 1% of the gross domestic product of Andhra Pradesh.
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. The two would go on to produce and direct dozens of films throughout the decade, casting theater actors in major roles. They established a long-lasting precedent of focusing exclusively on religious themes; Nandanar, Gajendra Moksham, and Matsyavatar, three of their most famous productions, centered on religious figures, parables, and morals
Rise of the Talkie: 1931-1947
In 1931, the first Telugu film with audible dialogue, Bhakta Prahlad, was produced by H.M. Reddy. 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.
By 1936, the mass appeal of film allowed directors to move away from religious and mythological themes. 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.
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, a sharp reduction from the 20,000 feet that was common till then. 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. 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.
Tollywood Studios
Hyderabad is the homeland of Tollywood, the Telugu movie industry. Apart from being a popular entertainment source and India's largest film producer, as measured by the number of films made every year (followed by Bollywood), Tollywood also provides livelihood to thousands of its citizens and contributes a large amount of revenue to the local government. Earlier, many of the Telugu films were produced in Madras. However, the improvement in Hyderabad's infrastructure and initiatives such as setting up of the studios like, Saradhi Studios, Annapurna Studios, Ramanaidu Studios, Ramakrishna Studios, Padmalaya Studios, Ramoji Film City have changed the situation. Today not only are Telugu films made here, even films from Bollywood are being shot in Hyderabad
Budgets
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
