Rarely does a film manage to make its audience, laugh out loud, and shed a quite tear and go back home with a fulfilling story. Pelli Choopulu was that rare gem of a film that got everything right.
Vamsi Paidipally could have gone on autopilot with the kind of acting talent he was working with. But he rises to the occasion as a filmmaker and gives Oopiri the kind of memorable moments that a film with Nagarjuna and Karthi deserves.
NTR took a 360 degree turn with his looks and his on-screen mannerisms in Nannaku Prematho. He played a slick London boy, he had restrained dialogue delivery and he did not fight like a carefree hero. His performance was supremely polished.
Playing an uthor backed role, Samantha as the naive, lovely and spirited Anusuya in A... Aa was like a breath of fresh air. Her honest efforts added all the spark and charm in this film.
Seldom do bad guy roles get as much detail and development as Jagapathi Babu's character in Nannaku Prematho. But his turn as the cold, calculated but very stylish villain was one of the highlights of 2016 in Telugu cinema.
Nanditha Swetha's performance in Ekkadiki Pothaavu Chinnavada was like a burst of energy. She takes over the film in the second half. Going by her measured performance and confidence you'd never think she's in her first film.
Devi Sri Prasad has the pulse of popular music in South cinema. His compositions in the Nannaku Prematho album were perfectly commercial and had the right mix of experimentation too. It is a trendy and contemporary album with the right amount of fun and finesse.
Like a true blue hymn, Pranamam had lyrics about man and his symbiotic relationship with nature. A truly spiritual song, Ramajogayya Sastry's words were like poetry in motion.
Karthik's wondrous voice made this break up song one of the coolest tracks in recent history. The soft melody and spunky lyrics allowed Karthik to belt out an absolute winner.
With her legendary voice and her singing oeuvre Chitra has no match in playback singing. Her efoorts on Ee prema ki from Nenu Sailaja added a masterstroke to this album and made it a certified winner.
