In Pics | 5 key moments for Tollywood in 2020

Written by: Roktim RajpalThe year 2020 was an eventful one for the Telugu film industry despite the fact that most movies failed to keep their date with the audience due to the Covid-19 pandemic. With 2021 almost upon us, here is a look at five key moments from the past 11 months:

Allu in ‘boss’ mode | Actor Allu Arjun gave strong proof of his star power when the Trivikram Srinivas-directed ‘Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo’ opened to a thunderous response at the box office, emerging as a blockbuster. The film gained a fair deal of attention at a pan-India level, proving that the ‘Bunny’ mania has no limits. Credit: Facebook/AlluArjun

Rashmika bounces back | Rashmika Mandanna, who suffered a setback when 'Dear Comrade' bombed at the box office, acted alongside Mahesh Babu in the commercially successful ‘Sarileru Neekevvaru’, impressing fans with her glamorous new avatar. She went on to score another hit with Nithiin’s ‘Bheeshma’. The back-to-back successes helped the ‘Karnataka Crush’ get her career back on track. Credit: Facebook/RashmikaMandanna

Trouble for VD | Vijay Deverakonda, who became a household name with ‘Arjun Reddy’ and ‘Geetha Govindam’, suffered a setback when the romantic-drama ‘World Famous Lover’ failed to make an impact with audiences while receiving mixed to negative reviews from critics. He, however, remained in the limelight due to his upcoming movie ‘Fighter’, directed by Puri Jagannadh. Credit: DH Photo/PushkarV

The rise of OTT | The release dates of most major movies were pushed back due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Nani-starrer ‘V’, which was originally expected to release in theatres during Ugadi, eventually released directly on Amazon Prime Video, adding a new dimension to the ‘OTT revolution’. Anushka Shetty’s ‘Nishabdham’/’Silence’ also released digitally on the same platform. Credit: Amazon Prime Video

Prabhas, Rajamouli in headlines | Prabhas and SS Rajamouli remained the talk of Tollywood despite the fact that they did not have any releases this year. ‘Darling’ signed the pan-India biggie 'Adipurush', featuring him as Lord Ram and completed major portions of 'RadheShyam'. Actors Deepika Padukone and Amitabh Bachchan joined the cast of his 21st film, directed by 'Mahanati' director Nag Ashwin. And as for Rajamouli, he remained in the limelight because of his upcoming movie 'Rise Roar Revolt'. Credit: Facebook/Prabhas