28th April is indeed a defining day for Telugu Film Industry. Two of Tollywood’s most iconic blockbusters released on this day. It was on this day, 15 years ago that Mahesh Babu’s Pokiri released. Similarly, 4 years back we witnessed the history created the world over by Bahubali 2. The impact that these movies created on cine lovers was much much bigger than their humungous collections.
Pokiri came in like a breath of fresh air 15 years ago. Mahesh’s intense yet measured performance and Puri’s path-breaking writing made the movie truly an iconic blockbuster. At a time when the industry was riding high on formulaic faction cinema, it was Pokiri that broke the shackles. Right from Pandu’s characterization, the stylish fights, and Mani Sharma’s chartbuster album, everything about Pokiri was truly remarkable. Dialogues such as “Evadu kodithe dhimma thirigi mindu block avtundho, aade Pandu gaadu“, and Okkasari commit aithe naa maata nene vinanu” have transformed the way our heroes spoke ever since. Pokiri was an out-and-out mass film but without senseless elevations. The characters were well written, comedy tracks well blended into the story, and the iconic twist towards the climax, all have contributed immensely in marking Pokiri as one of the brightest stars in the sky of Tollywood.
While Pokiri elevated Tollywood to the national level 15 years back leading to multiple remakes nationwide, the Bahubali franchise put Tollywood on the world map. After the grand success of Bahubali, it was 4 years ago on this day that blockbuster Bahubali 2 was released. SS Rajamouli’s vision and impeccable direction added with Prabhas’ dedication made Bahubali 2 into the monstrous hit worldwide. The movie was successful in capturing the hearts of audiences worldwide. It succeeded in creating a connection with movie lovers crossing language and demographic barriers. Each and every character of the movie, Shivagami, Kattappa, Bhallaladeva, and of course Bahubali came together like perfect pieces of a zigsaw puzzle enhancing the grandeur of Rajamouli’s vision. Prabhas as Bahubali showcased the perfect combination of a mighty warrior and a highly capable ruler. The technicians of Bahubali added immense value to this blockbuster. Sabu Cyril’s production design, MM Keeravani’s music, and Senthil Kumar’s cinematography stood as the pillars of this humungous structure of Bahubali 2.
With 2 of the most path breaking movies releasing on this day, 28th April is surely a day that not just Tollywood, but even cinema lovers will remember forever.
