Mahesh Babu’s 5 movies that deserve more appreciation

Actor Mahesh Babu is celebrating his 46th birthday today. While the makers of his next, Sarkaru Vaari Paata, revealed the teaser of the film to mark his special day, his fans and colleagues have been wishing him on social media. Mahesh, the younger son of veteran Telugu superstar Krishna Ghattamaneni had made his acting debut as a child artist with Needa (1979) and became a solo lead actor with the K Raghavendra Rao directorial Rajakumarudu in 1999. Till now, he acted in more than 25 films and carved a niche for himself in the Telugu film industry.

Despite an impressive filmography, there were a few films of the actor that punched below their weight. While the films had a lot of potential, they failed to deliver as expected at the box office.

Murari (2001)

This Krishna Vamsi directorial is a supernatural drama that proved the mettle of Mahesh Babu as an actor. Despite a chartbuster album from Mani Sharma and a solid story, the movie stayed average at the box office. But over the years, audience has come to love the film after repeated viewings on television.

Takkari Donga (2002)

After Krishna and Chiranjeevi, Mahesh Babu is the only actor to star in a Western in Telugu cinema. The film is about hunt for a lost treasure, but what makes it special is its emotional core. Directed by Jayanth C Paranjee, the movie was made at a lavish scale but turned out to be an average grosser.

Naani (2004)

This film was miles away from the audience’s expectations from a Mahesh Babu film back in the day. The concept of an eight-year-old turning into an adult and vice versa was perhaps too much for the viewers to digest. Perhaps if the movie had its release now, it would be a hit.

Athadu (2005)

This Trivikram directorial is a blockbuster on television sets but didn’t work very well when it released in theatres. Mahesh Babu played a hitman named Parthu, and it looked like a role tailor-made for him. Over the years, the movie achieved cult status, especially for its action that was part choreographed by Peter Heins.

1: Nenokkadine (2014)

A psychological thriller, the film failed to bring audience to theatres but is a big hit on TV.