Tollywood Goes Overkill on Hindu Deities, Ushering in Fatigue

After the massive success of films like Karthikeya 2 and HanuMan, Telugu filmmakers appear to be increasingly leaning on Hindu deities as narrative anchors—a trend that, according to industry insiders, is now being overdone. Even in the recent release Akhanda 2, references to Lord Shiva, Lord Narasimha and Lord Hanuman feature prominently.

“We are clearly going overboard and need to take a break,” admits a top producer. “The depiction of Hindu gods during fight sequences draws whistles in theatres, and that temptation is pushing stars and directors to overstep. But this trend needs to be curtailed.”

He points out that several leading Telugu stars have already portrayed divine or spiritually inspired roles. Prabhas appeared in Kannappa, Pawan Kalyan played a godly character in Gopala Gopala, while Jr NTR portrayed Lord Rama as a child artist in Bala Ramayanam. “Playing a mythological role once in a while is fine, but almost every other Telugu film today has a god connection. Perhaps it’s an attempt to appeal to Hindi-speaking audiences, but that strategy has its own limitations,” he explains.

While Karthikeya 2 and HanuMan managed to connect strongly with non-Telugu viewers, other films such as Mirai and Akhanda 2 failed to recreate similar box-office magic. Taking the trend a step further, director Prashanth Varma is now working on Mahakali, a superheroine film in which Bhoomi Shetty will portray Goddess Mahakali.

Looking ahead, Mahesh Babu is set to play Lord Rama in Varanasi, while Kannada star Rishab Shetty will don the role of Lord Hanuman in Jai Hanuman, scheduled to go on floors in January.

“Telugu filmmakers are certainly capable of delivering compelling socio-fantasies and there are around five to six films on floors,” the producer concludes. “But they must explore a wider range of subjects. If every film leans on gods, audience fatigue is inevitable.”