Venkatesh Maha

Venkatesh Maha
Maha in 2018
Born
Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India[1]
Occupations
  • Director
  • Screenwriter
  • Actor
  • Critic
Years active2011–present
OrganizationMahayana Motion Pictures LLP

Venkatesh Maha is an Indian film director, screenwriter and actor who works in Telugu cinema. He's known for directing films including C/o Kancharapalem (2018) and Uma Maheswara Ugra Roopasya (2020).

Career

Maha left his house at the age of sixteen and worked various jobs. He worked as a spot boy for the film Teen Maar (2011) before he made his acting debut with Aakasame Haddu that same year. He made his directorial debut with the film C/o Kancharapalem (2018) which was shot in the suburb of the same name. The cast of the film comprised entirely of newcomers.[1] Regarding his work on the film, one critic noted, "Full marks to Venkatesh for not only coming up with a different kind of film but successfully carrying off the experiment of roping in locals for a film which is about themselves" whilst another stated, "If the director Venkatesh Maha is the brain behind this idea, he deserves credit yes".[2][3]

His next film was Uma Maheswara Ugra Roopasya (2020), a remake of the Malayalam film Maheshinte Prathikaaram.[4] The film features Satyadev in the lead role and was shot extensively in the Araku valley.[5] Regarding the cast of the film, a critic opined, "And a big shout to Venkatesh Maha’s casting choices, which makes the movie more relatable".[6] In August 2021, Maha started Write Right Club for creative writers along with Puja Kolluru and other team members.[7]

He collaborated with Satyadev again in the psychological drama film Rao Bahadur, which released in July 2026. Presented by Mahesh Babu and Namrata Shirodkar, it was jointly produced by Anurag Reddy, Sharath Chandra, Chinta Gopalakrishna Reddy, and Eshwaran Vijayaraghavan.[8][9]

Filmography

  • All films are in Telugu unless otherwise noted.
Key
† Denotes films that have not yet been released
Film and television
Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes Ref.
2018 C/o KancharapalemYesYesNo[1]
2020 Uma Maheswara Ugra RoopasyaYesYesNo[6]
2022 SwarnaNoNoYesShort film[10]
Modern Love HyderabadYesNoNoAmazon Prime Video series; episode 6[11]
2023Martin Luther KingNoYesYesAlso actor
2024Ambajipeta Marriage BandNoNoYesCo-producer
2026 Rao Bahadur Yes Yes No [12]
Acting roles
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2011Aakasame HadduNarayana's friend[1]
2012 Cameraman Gangatho Rambabu News audience member [13]
2014 Manam Unknown [13]
2018 Mahanati Assistant Director Shaukar
2020Uma Maheswara Ugra RoopasyaTea vendorCameo appearance[14]
2022 Stand Up Rahul Hriday Extended cameo [15]
2022Ante SundaranikiJoseph[16]
2023Anger TalesRangaDisney+ Hotstar series
UstaadSurya's fatherCameo[17]
Martin Luther KingLoki
2025MiraiVikram[18]
2026Rao BahadurProtagonist's ancestor

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2019 Filmfare Awards South Best Director – TeluguC/o Kancharapalem Nominated [19]
2021 South Indian International Movie Awards Best Director – TeluguUma Maheswara Ugra Roopasya Nominated
2025 Telangana Gaddar Film Awards Third Best Feature Film C/o Kancharapalem Won [20]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Dundoo, Sangeetha Devi (27 February 2018). "Venkatesh Maha bats for original, real-life inspired stories". The Hindu.
  2. ↑ Kavirayani, Suresh (9 September 2018). "C/o Kancharapalem movie review: This realistic film is worth a watch". Deccan Chronicle.
  3. ↑ "C/o Kancharapalem Movie Review {4/5}: Let these voices raise!". The Times of India.
  4. ↑ Dundoo, Sangeetha Devi (5 June 2020). "Venkatesh Maha to showcase another close-to-reality story with Satyadev starrer 'Uma Maheswara Ugra Roopasya'". The Hindu.
  5. ↑ Dundoo, Sangeetha Devi (13 July 2020). "Appu Prabhakar: Venkatesh Maha didn't want anything glossed over". The Hindu.
  6. 1 2 "Uma Maheswara Ugra Roopasya movie review: Satyadev Kancharana delivers the goods". 30 July 2020.
  7. ↑ Dundoo, Sangeetha Devi (13 August 2021). "Filmmakers Venkatesh Maha and Puja Kolluru on their plans for Write Right Club for creative writing in Hyderabad". The Hindu.
  8. ↑ Ramachandran, Naman (18 August 2025). "'Rao Bahadur' Star Satyadev on His Five-Hour Transformation and Global Ambitions for the Mahesh Babu-Backed Film: 'People Are Going to Get Taken Aback' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  9. ↑ India, Team THR (13 August 2025). "'Rao Bahadur' First Look: Satya Dev Stuns in Royal Avatar for Mahesh Babu's Latest Production". The Hollywood Reporter India. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  10. ↑ "Telugu short film 'Swarna' at NYIFF". The Hindu. 26 April 2022.
  11. ↑ "Modern Love Hyderabad: Prime Video series promises delightful love tales, featuring Nithya Menen, Aadhi Pinisetty". OTT Play. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  12. ↑ Raman, Sruthi Ganapathy (8 July 2026). "Venkatesh Maha Unpacks 'Rao Bahadur': 'When Mahesh Babu sir Presents a Film, There is a Lot of Responsibility'". The Hollywood Reporter India. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  13. 1 2 "Maha Venkatesh on 'Care Of Kancharapalem', struggles & more - Telugu News". IndiaGlitz.com. 6 September 2018.
  14. ↑ "Uma Maheshwara Ugra Roopasya Movie Review: The sweetest tale of revenge you'll ever see". The Times of India.
  15. ↑ Dundoo, Sangeetha Devi (18 March 2022). "'Stand up Rahul' movie review: Let down by bland humour". The Hindu – via www.thehindu.com.
  16. ↑ Dundoo, Sangeetha Devi (10 June 2022). "'Ante Sundaraniki' movie review: Vivek Athreya's humour-laced drama is powered effectively by Nani, Nazriya, Rohini and Naresh". The Hindu – via www.thehindu.com.
  17. ↑ Dundoo, Sangeetha Devi (12 August 2023). "'Ustaad' Telugu movie review: Debut director Phanideep, actors Simha Koduri and Kavya Kalyanram make an impression in this overdrawn yet warm coming-of-age story of a boy and his bike". The Hindu – via www.thehindu.com.
  18. ↑ BVS, Prakash (14 September 2025). "Tollywood Directors Step into Spotlight, Surprise Fans with Acting in Mirai". Deccan Chronicle. Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
  19. ↑ "Nominations for the 66th Filmfare Awards (South) 2019". Filmfare. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  20. ↑ Harsh, B. H. (30 May 2025). "Gaddar Film Awards for the years 2014-2023 announced". Cinema Express. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.