The year 2025 is set to end with more than 200 films released in Tollywood, including a few dubbed films. Interestingly, films starring major stars like Prabhas, Mahesh Babu and Allu Arjun did not release this year, while several small-budget films tasted success. However, more than box-office results, Tollywood remained in the news for its various controversies.
Producer Sirish’s remarks irk Ram Charan fans
The year began with a big film like Game Changer, starring Ram Charan and directed by Shankar. The film turned out to be a big commercial failure. A few months after the film released, producer Sirish, in an interview, said that neither Ram Charan nor director Shankar contacted him after the film’s release. He indirectly stated that the film incurred huge losses and that the actor did not take responsibility for it.
These comments angered Ram Charan’s fans, who openly challenged Sirish on social media. The Ram Charan Fans Association even released a letter warning producers against making further negative comments about the actor and Game Changer. Later, Sirish released a video apologising to the fans and expressed his eagerness to collaborate with Ram Charan again. His brother, producer Dil Raju, also clarified that Sirish made those remarks in an emotional moment and requested fans to remain calm, and assured that they respect Ram Charan and the Chiranjeevi family and expressed hope of working with Charan in the future.
Actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan’s first film after becoming the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh was Hari Hara Veera Mallu. The film, which began years ago, faced prolonged delays due to Pawan Kalyan’s busy political schedule. After several postponements, it finally released on July 24. Initially scheduled for June 12, the film’s release was postponed, with the makers claiming that certain industry members were trying to stall it.
At the same time, reports of a theatre strike surfaced, with the makers alleging that some industry bigwigs deliberately attempted to block the film’s release. Andhra Pradesh Cinematography Minister Kandula Durgesh ordered an enquiry into the theatre strike issue. Industry figures like Allu Aravind held press conferences to clarify that they were not involved and did not control many theatres.
Pawan Kalyan personally intervened to support producer AM Rathnam, with major production houses like People Media Factory and Mythri Movie Makers stepping in to ensure a smooth release. Despite all the efforts, the film turned out to be a box-office failure. Though Krish Jagarlamudi was the original director, delays led to his exit, and Rathnam’s son Jyothi Krishna completed the film.
Rajendra Prasad’s remarks on David Warner
Cricketer David Warner made a cameo appearance in Robinhood, starring Nithiin and Sreeleela and directed by Venky Kudumula. At the film’s pre-release event, senior actor Rajendra Prasad made derogatory remarks using a few Telugu words while referring to Warner. Though Warner could not understand Telugu, Rajendra Prasad faced severe backlash and trolling.
The next day, Rajendra Prasad released an apology video, stating that the remarks were meant in a lighter vein and were made jokingly backstage. He apologised for his words and assured that such an incident would not recur. However, he later landed in another controversy at SV Krishna Reddy’s birthday event, where he made inappropriate remarks about actor Ali. Again, the veteran actor later clarified that Ali is very close to him and that he had even recommended Ali to several directors. But the damage was already done.
Chiranjeevi lands in a major controversy
Megastar Chiranjeevi also faced backlash for his sexist remarks at the pre-release event of Brahma Anandam, which he attended as a special guest. He commented that his home felt like a 'women’s hostel' since he was surrounded by granddaughters and joked that he wished Ram Charan would have a son next so that their legacy would continue. He added that he was 'scared' Charan might have another girl.
These remarks sparked outrage on social media, especially since Ram Charan and Upasana had welcomed their first child, a baby girl. Chiranjeevi did not issue any clarification or apology and maintained silence on the issue.
Manchu family feud continues
The Manchu family feud continued to make headlines in 2025. The dispute between Mohan Babu and his son Manoj escalated with police complaints from both sides. Manoj accused his father and brother of assault and property disputes, while Mohan Babu accused Manoj of unlawfully occupying his house. Manoj later accused Vishnu of stealing his car, while Vishnu alleged that Manoj was involved in the theft of a hard disk containing footage of their film Kannappa. Manoj denied all accusations.
Interestingly, tensions appeared to ease after Kannappa’s release. Manoj tweeted in support of the film, and Vishnu later reciprocated during the release of Manoj’s film Mirai. These exchanges sparked patch-up rumours, though no official reconciliation was confirmed. Lakshmi Manchu later spoke in an interview about the emotional toll the public feud had taken on the family and expressed hope for unity.
Film Federation Employees strike
Apart from controversies, Tollywood also faced a shutdown due to a sudden strike by the Telugu Film Industry Employees Federation (TFIEF), which demanded a 30 per cent wage hike. Producers initially rejected the demand, forcing all film shootings to halt in August. Even films starring Prabhas and Chiranjeevi were stalled.
The Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce initially allowed non-union workers, but after government intervention and negotiations, a settlement was reached. Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy played a key role in resolving the issue, leading to wage hikes and an end to the strike by late August.
Brahmanandam–Dayakar Rao incident
Mohan Babu celebrated 50 years in the film industry with a grand event in Hyderabad attended by several celebrities, including Rajinikanth, Venkaiah Naidu, Kishan Reddy, Nani, Brahmanandam and Errabelli Dayakar Rao. A video from the event went viral showing Brahmanandam pushing Dayakar Rao when he asked for a photograph, leading to heavy trolling. Brahmanandam later clarified in a video that it was a playful moment between close friends and that he was rushing inside the venue. He stated that both had spoken after the incident and cleared any misunderstanding.
Sivaji’s remarks spark outrage
As the year drew to a close, senior actor Sivaji sparked a major controversy with derogatory remarks about actresses’ outfits at the pre-release event of Dhandoraa. He advised female actors to dress modestly and used offensive language, including the word “saamaanly”, implying that women’s clothing was responsible for harassment incidents.
The remarks triggered widespread outrage from industry members and the public. Sivaji later issued an apology video, stating that while his intention was right, the words he used were inappropriate. He later appeared before the Telangana Mahila Commission and assured that he would refrain from making such comments in the future. Actors and personalities like Chinmayi, Anasuya, Hebah Patel, Payal Rajput, Manchu Manoj and Navdeep strongly condemned his statements.
With Sivaji’s remarks closing the year, it became evident that in 2025, controversies overshadowed the success of films in Tollywood.