Young Heroes Deliver Results in Tollywood
Bandla added that he respects and supports self-made actors who built their careers without film-family backing. “I like to hail such heroes who rise purely on talent and discipline, but I am definitely not against nepo kids,” he clarified.
Young heroes like Teja Sajja, Kiran Abbavaram, and Mouli have delivered hits such as Mirai, K Ramp, and Little Hearts, which together collected over Rs 70 crore in the Telugu states. Their success places them alongside Vijay Deverakonda, Siddhu Jonnalagadda, and Naveen Polishetty—self-made talents who have carved their own space amid stiff competition from star-kids in the Telugu film industry.
“It is good that young heroes are making waves at the box office,” says producer Bandla Ganesh, who openly supported Kiran Abbavaram and Mouli at their recent success meets. “I joined the celebrations because Kiran is talented, hardworking, and humble. I also advised newcomer Mouli not to get carried away by success or tweets from stars like Mahesh Babu, but to stay grounded and move up the ladder step by step, just like actor Chandra Mohan did,” he adds.
Bandla Ganesh also praised the DJ Tillu star Siddhu Jonnalagadda for his meteoric rise and called Vijay Deverakonda a good actor. “Teja Sajja is another promising talent who delivered back-to-back hits HanuMan and Mirai, and has become a bankable star. He started as a child artist and honed his craft to reach great heights while staying humble,” he noted. On Siddhu Jonnalagadda delivering flops like Jack, he defended him, saying, “One or two flops don’t define an actor like Siddhu. He’ll bounce back soon.”
Bandla added that he respects and supports self-made actors who built their careers without film-family backing. “I like to hail such heroes who rise purely on talent and discipline, but I am definitely not against nepo kids,” he clarified.
To give tough competition, new actors from the Nandamuri and Ghattamaneni families are also entering the industry. Recently, the Nandamuri family introduced their fourth-generation heir, Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, who is teaming up with director YVS Choudary, adding to the list of Tollywood’s newest star-kids.
Meanwhile, the Ghatamaneni family has welcomed Jayakrishna, son of the late Ramesh Babu and nephew of superstar Mahesh Babu. He is set to make his debut in a romantic entertainer directed by Ajay Bhupathi. Nandamuri Mokshagna, son of Nandamuri Balakrishna, who is reportedly preparing for a high-budget debut.
“I don’t see anything wrong with the new generation carrying forward the legacy of their fathers and grandfathers,” says famed writer Kona Venkat. “Icons like NTR, ANR, and Chiranjeevi worked tirelessly for decades to earn their place in cinema history. Many of them began with no support, no food, and not even a place to sleep. Their legacy is something they built from the ground up,” he adds.
He concludes that there is enough space for actors in Tollywood, irrespective of their lineage, and 'whoever has talent and wins audience appreciation will stay longer,' adds Kona Venkat
