Why Modern Telugu Cinema is Prioritizing Vulgarity Over Story

A recent trend in Telugu cinema has sparked frustration among audiences, raising a critical question: Are some directors taking their audience for granted? Instead of focusing on quality writing and storytelling, there appears to be a shift towards B-grade content and vulgarity, leaving many to wonder where the mistake is happening. An analysis of recent films reveals a pattern of prioritizing superficial elements over a strong narrative.

The Two Paths of Filmmaking: The Easy vs. The Enduring

In filmmaking, there are essentially two approaches. The first route demands hard work and brainstorming. It focuses on creating a powerful screenplay with well-developed characters, compelling storytelling, and genuine emotion, comedy, or drama. While not every film from this path guarantees box office success, they often earn appreciation and credibility, leading to more opportunities for the creators. These are the films that are sometimes recognized as being ahead of their time.

The second, and seemingly more popular, route is a formulaic one. It involves stuffing the first half with three songs and three fights, and repeating the same for the second half. The gaps are filled with cringe-worthy or nonsensical content. This approach requires less effort and relies heavily on luck or a trending wave to succeed. Unfortunately, many creators are choosing this easier path, which contributes to the low success rate in the film industry.

From Story Selection to Heroine Selection

A significant issue is the shift in focus from crafting a story to simply casting a heroine. Films are no longer being made with heroines; they are being made for heroines. The primary thought process seems to revolve around which heroine to cast, which item girl to feature, and what kind of provocative dance steps to include.

Ravi Teja, in a recent interview, mentioned that he was initially offered the remake of Raid but turned it down as it was a “serious movie” without a heroine or dance numbers. However, he agreed to the project once director Harish Shankar came on board. This implies that the film was accepted on the condition that a heroine and dance sequences would be added, effectively diluting the original story. Similarly, director Puri Jagannadh seems preoccupied with how to present heroines, what vulgar dialogues to write, and creating characters like “Bokka,” repeating the same formula in multiple films.

When questioned, directors often use the excuse that the “story demanded it.” However, in many of these films, the heroine’s character could be removed entirely without affecting the plot. This raises questions about whether directors write these scenes to attract a star hero, or if the heroes themselves demand such content.

Harish Shankar and the Blame Game

The lack of accountability is another pressing issue. When questioned about a problematic dance step in a recent film, Harish Shankar explained that he found it unencouraging but chose not to interfere because he didn’t want to upset the choreographer on the first day of the shoot. This excuse, however, falls flat. If the step was truly problematic, it could have been removed during the editing process. The reality appears to be that such steps were intentionally included, and the choreographer is now being used as a scapegoat to deflect criticism.

The Audience’s Role in the Decline

While it’s easy to blame filmmakers, the audience also plays a part. The success of films like Dhamaka and iSmart Shankar sent a message to the industry. When asked what they liked about Dhamaka, many praised the dance sequences between Ravi Teja and Sreeleela. This led the filmmakers to believe that increasing the “dosage” of such elements would guarantee bigger collections. Similarly, the success of iSmart Shankar, a film criticized for its B-grade vulgarity, encouraged the makers to double down on that formula for their next project.

If audiences had voiced their concerns about these elements earlier, the situation might not have escalated. Now, fans are writing letters to their favorite actors, like Ravi Teja and Mahesh Babu, pleading for them to stop doing formulaic films and focus on better content.

A Look Towards the Future: Can the Trend be Reversed?

For things to change, creators must shift their priorities. Harish Shankar should focus on new, original content and prioritize his writing over objectifying heroines. Ravi Teja could benefit from selecting a film where the story is strong enough to not require a heroine at all. Ram Pothineni, who recently dismissed critics at an event, might find more success by stepping away from the Puri Jagannadh formula and returning to his strengths, like rom-coms.

Puri Jagannadh himself needs to take a break and return with fresh ideas, rather than rehashing the iSmart formula out of frustration from previous failures. Continuing to push vulgar content with the assumption that audiences will simply accept it will only lead to more criticism and losses.

Who is to Blame? A Shared Responsibility

Ultimately, the blame for this decline is shared by everyone involved in the ecosystem.

• Producers and Directors: Whose mindset is fixed on money, believing that dance numbers and vulgarity are enough to sell a film.
• Heroes: Who concentrate more on heroine selection than story selection and greenlight projects without questioning the lack of substance.
• Assistant Directors and Crew: Who fail to question problematic scenes or ideas.
• Choreographers: Who incorporate vulgarity into dance routines to generate hype.
• The Audience: Fans who, by not being critical enough of earlier films, inadvertently encouraged this trend to continue.

To move forward, the entire industry needs a course correction. The focus must return to the core of cinema: a well-written story. Concentrating on vulgar scenes and dance moves while letting the rest of the film falter is a recipe for failure that is already proving to be unsustainable.