In the modern era of Indian cinema, a striking trend is becoming apparent among some of Telugu film industry’s most dynamic faces—actors morphing into multi-faceted artisans of their craft. Taking a closer look at the careers of Siddhu Jonnalagadda, Adivi Sesh, Naveen Polishetty, and Vishwak Sen, we uncover the shared strand of versatility binding these performers. Not content with solely gracing the screen, they delve into the intricate processes of screenwriting, editing, and for some, even direction. This extra endeavor, while originating from the need to carve a niche in the competitive world of Telugu cinema, now stands as a testament to their resilience and ingenuity.
Highlighting this phenomenon is Siddhu Jonnalagadda, whose inspiring journey in the Telugu film landscape has been marked by substantial personal investment in the movie-making process. With a recent noteworthy success, the Telugu crime comedy ‘Tillu Square’, on a victorious march towards a remarkable ₹100 crore box office milestone, Siddhu’s contribution as a co-writer cannot be overstated. Harking back to the film’s precursor, ‘DJ Tillu’, his incisive hyperlocal humor resonated with audiences and set a significantly high bar. His ability to maintain and expand the film’s engaging narrative, while working with director Mallik Ram, has ensured that the character of Tillu thrived beyond its original outing.
Siddhu’s screenplay writing prowess was first seriously acknowledged after the success of ‘Krishna and His Leela’, a film that saw a direct digital release during the unprecedented lockdown of 2020. This venture firmly positioned him within the Telugu film industry’s limelight, having started his career back in 2009. His grasp over rewrites and edits refines the film’s core content, transforming Siddhu from a mechanical engineer and MBA graduate to a cinematic force to be reckoned with. As projects with directors Nandini Reddy, Neeraja Kona, and Bommarillu Bhaskar line up, Siddhu’s dream of leading ₹100 crore films feels ever closer to reality.
The story of Adivi Sesh unfolds with similar threads of resourcefulness and creativity. He stands as an example of how to stretch a limited budget to its fullest cinematic potential, as seen in the making of ‘Kshanam’ and ‘Goodachari’. With the modest costs tethered to these projects, Adivi and his team managed to produce films that outshone their financial limitations. His ability to take on multiple roles in a production has led to a host of successful films like ‘Evaru’, and ‘Major’, with the latter also seeing him as a co-writer. Currently working on ‘G2’, the sequel to ‘Goodachari’, and the multilingual ‘Dacoit: A Love Story’, Adivi Sesh shows no signs of shedding his multi-dimensional cinematic skin.
Naveen Polishetty, who traded his IT career for acting, is another exemplar of the range these talents possess. Following a myriad of auditions, he made a name for himself with the comic ‘Agent Sai Srinivasa Athreya’, which he co-wrote with director RSJ Swaroop. His Hindi cinema debut came with ‘Chhichhore’, directed by Nitesh Tiwari. However, it was the comedic prowess of ‘Jathi Ratnalu’ and the charm of ‘Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty’ that solidified Naveen’s position as a game-changer in Telugu cinema.
Vishwak Sen’s ascent in Telugu cinema serves as a beacon for aspirational multi-taskers. With ‘Falaknuma Das’, he took on the roles of writer, director, and actor—a trifecta of responsibility that paid off handsomely. His previous experience with short films and his acting debut in ‘Vellipomakey’ laid a robust foundation. Following notable performances in ‘HIT: The First Case’ and ‘Ashoka Vanamlo Arjuna Kalyanam’, his recent venture ‘Das ka Dhamki’ embodies his dedication to storytelling both behind and in front of the camera.
This extraordinary cohort illustrates the shifting paradigms in Tollywood, where actors no longer limit their contributions to the cinematic sphere. They embrace the broader scope of filmmaking, carving their unique legacies through integrated involvement in their projects. Siddhu, Adivi, Naveen, and Vishwak represent the evolution of actors into holistic cinema artisans, heralding a new age of resourceful filmmaking within the Telugu film industry.
