Before 'Guntur Kaaram,' revisiting Mahesh Babu's last five releases

On Wednesday, Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu unveiled the teaser of his upcoming film Guntur Kaaram. The action-drama film is being directed by Trivikram Srinivas and features Pooja Hegde as the leading lady. It is Babu's 28th film in his over two-decade-long career. Before the film hits theaters on January 13, 2024, on the occasion of Sankranti, let's revisit Babu's last five cinematic outings.

In May 2022, Babu was seen in Sarkaru Vaari Paata, which translates to "Government's bid." Directed by Parasuram, it co-starred Keerthy Suresh and was focused on a conflict between a financier Mahi and a Member of Parliament Rajendranath after the latter's daughter cons Mahi. The film arrived a few months late than its original schedule and was declared the third-highest Telugu grosser of 2022.

Babu's last release a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Sarileru Neekevvaru, an action-comedy film, defied mixed rumors to emerge as a successful commercial venture. It reportedly made Rs. 260cr worldwide! IMDb describes the plot as "An army major sent to Kurnool to give company to his injured colleague's family ends up locking horns with a corrupt minister who is targeting the family."

Vamshi Paidipally's Maharshi won the National Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment and Best Choreography at the 67th National Film Awards. The third-highest grosser of 2019, it also starred Hegde and Jagapathi Babu, and the narrative zoomed in on K Rishi Kumar, a US returned man who decides to utilize his knowledge to help his village's agricultural prospects.

Bharat Ane Nenu translates to "I, Bharat" and was directed by Koratala Siva. Also featuring Kiara Advani and R Sarathkumar, it is the story of Bharath Ram, an Oxford University student who, upon his Chief Minister father's demise, becomes the new CM and resolves to weed out the corruption in the system. This film marked another commercial victory for Babu, making over Rs. 169cr.

This psychological, fast-paced thriller co-starred Rakul Preet Singh and SJ Suryah, and was helmed by AR Murugadoss. Although the drama made money in the range of Rs. 90cr-Rs. 100cr, it was declared a box office flop because the film's production costs were as high as Rs. 120cr. The film invited flak for its writing and pace. You can stream it on Netflix or ZEE5.