As far as Telugu films are concerned they are mostly produced in Hyderabad. It is one of the three most important film centers in India in terms of the number of films produced. The Ramoji Film City is well known nationwide. Emotional, sensitive, tragedy, drama and heart wrenching stories run high in Telugu cinema. Initially the Telugu films dealt with mythologies and then cam the social dramas. The themes of the contemporary Telugu films vary from social dramas to action, comedy to romantic flicks.

For many years N.T. Rama Rao, former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, dominated the Telugu screen. He acted in over three hundred films and was well known for his portrayal of religious figures. In recent years, one or two determined filmmakers such as Narasinga Rao, have sought to introduce a serious note to Telugu cinema.

1931 - Bhakta Prahlada: Directed by H.M. Reddy, the film starred Surabhi Kamalabai, L.V. Prasad, Munipalle Subbaiah, and B.V. subba Rao. Telugu cinema`s first sound film, the story was drawn from the Vishnu Purana legend of Prahlada who chooses to worship Vishnu despite his father Hiranyakashapu`s wrath. A successful film shot in Bombay at Krishna Studios.

1933 - Prithvi Putra: Directed by Potina Srinivasa, the film starred K. Raghuramaiah, Parepalli Satyanarayana, and Surabhi Kamalabai. The film was based on the story of Narakasura - the demon who asks of Lord Krishna that his death be marked by celebrations and observed every year, and that he be permitted to attend. This is believed to be the first Telugu film to be financed locally.

1934 - Seeta Kalyanam: Directed by Ch. Narasimha Rao, the film starred Master Kalyani, Benzwada Rajatathnam, Madavapeddi Venkatramaiah, and T. Venkateshwaralu. This was the first Telugu film to include outdoor shooting, and was based on the mythological story of Sita.

1936 - Sampoorna Ramayana: Directed by E. Nagabhushanam and S. B. Narayana, the film starred Pushpavalli and Kadaru Raju. Noted for its faux pas rather than any special merit: the film featured a train during the 14-year exile of Lord Rama and Sita!

1938 - Grihalakshmi: Directed by H.M. Reddy, the film starred Chittor V. Nagaiah, Gauripathy Sastry, Kanchanmala, Ramanujachari, P. Kannamba, and Sarala. A doctor is seduced by a dancer, and events lead to him becoming an alcoholic and accused of murder. He is helped out of his quagmire by his brother-in-law who also comes to the assistance of the doctor`s wife. This was Nagaiah`s debut film (as the brother-in-law) and made him an overnight star.

1940 - Dharmapatni: Directed by P. Pullaiah, the film starred Shantakumari, P. Bhanumathi, Peddappuram Raju, Lakshminarasimha, A. Nageshwara Rao, Hanumantha Rao and Hemalatha. The film is about an orphaned young girl in the charge of a good-hearted prostitute. The heroine`s arranged marriage is cancelled when the prostitute`s profession is revealed. The hero marries another woman who ultimately reunites him with the heroine. The movie was in both Tamil and Telugu, and was the superstar A. Nageshwara Rao`s first film.

1942 - Balanagamma: Directed by C. Pullaiah, the film starred Kanchanmala, Pushpavalli, and G.V. Subba Rao. The megahit paved the way for similar fantasy films. An evil magician abducts a woman who successfully avoids him by keeping herself immersed in ritual. After a period of twelve years, she is liberated by her son. The film adopted the Burra Katha folk tradition and had extravagant costumes and sets. Films like Patal Bhairavi starring Akkineni Nageswara Rao were made during the 1950s. The Telugu films of this era were mainly mythological in nature. Maya Bazaar, Gumastha, Vinayaka Chavithi, Chandirani and others were made in the 1950s. NT Rama Rao was also the popular star at this point of time.

1983 - Rangula Kala: This was Narasinga Rao`s first directed film, where he also plays the lead. The film portrays the tormented sensibility of a highly gifted modern painter, Ravi, and his growing social awareness and political consciousness.

1983- Khaidi: This film starred Chiranjeevi, Madhavi, Raogopal Rao and others. The film was a superhit in South Indian and it changed the course of Chiranjeevi`s career. He was hailed as one of the most successful stars. The film was a social drama and a story of love, injustice and revenge. A purely commercial cinema the audience loved it.

1988 - Dasi: This was also a Narsinga Rao`s directed film. And it won five national awards and gained him national recognition as a distinguished film-maker in India. Dasi deals with the way in which rich families bought young girls as bonded labourers from poor peasant families.

1990- Kondaveeti Donga: This film again had Chiranjeevi as the lead star. Till date it is considered one of the finest films in Telugu film industry. A major hit this Telugu film dealt with social subject that appealed to both the masses and the classes. The female lead was played by Vijayashanti and Radha. The music of this film was composed by Illayaraja.

1990- Nari Nari Naduma Murari: The film had Nandamuri Balakrishna, Shobana, Nirosha as its lead stars. This Telugu film is considered one of the biggest hits of all times. In fact it is considered a classic film.

1996- Ninne Pelladutha: The story of this film centered around two youngsters in love but their families are at loggerheads. This romantic comedy starred Nagarjuna and Tabu.

2000- Jayam Manade Raa: The film had Venkatesh and Soundarya as its lead pair. This romantic film made record collections in that year. It is one of the out and out commercial Telugu films.

2004- Arjun: This Telugu film was directed by Gunasekhar. The film starred Mahesh Babu, Shriya Saran, Keerthi Reddy, Raja and Prakash Raj.

2004- Anand: Contrary to the other Telugu films it was a low profile release. But the film went onto become a major hit and bagged all the critical appreciation. In fact it received 7 Nandi Awards. The film was directed, produced and written by Sekhar Kammula. The roles of the lead Telugu actors are played by Raja and Kamalinee Mukherjee. The film`s storyline revolved around two youngsters and how they fall in love. This simple story was loved by the audience and so much so that it became a top grosser.

2006- Bommarillu: This is one of those Telugu films that became a runaway hit. The film had Genelia and Siddharth Narayan. A simple love story it also dealt with the relationship between a father and a son.

2008- Paragu: It is one of the latest releases in Telugu cinema. The film stars Allu Arjun, Sheela, Poonam Bajwa, Prakash Raj and Bhaskar.

The Telugu films have great opportunities in the future as this film industry is blessed with talented Telugu actors and Telugu directors.