On August 13, Annapurna Studios completes 50 years of its foundation. It was on this date exactly five decades ago that A Nageswara Rao laid the foundation stone for his visionary film studio, which was then a barren space.

The formation of Annapurna Studios stands as a significant landmark in the history of Telugu cinema. Up until then, Telugu cinema largely carried out its production process out of Chennai (then Madras). With a firm belief about the importance of Telugu cinema having its base in its own land, A Nageswara Rao took the first step toward building a home for Telugu cinema in Hyderabad, and hence Annapurna Studios came into existence.  

The studio was officially inaugurated on January 14, 1976, by the then President of India, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed. In the coming few years, prominent studios like Padmalaya Studios and Ramanaidu Studios among many others, followed suit, gradually making Hyderabad the hub for Telugu film industry, creating a separate identity for itself.  Annapurna Studios also paved the way for creation of Jubilee Hills, Film Nagar, and Krishna Nagar, hence shaping the future of Hyderabad’s cinema ecosystem. 

To mark the completion of 50 years, Annapurna Studios is also planning a grand re-release of their iconic 1989 film Shiva, with remastered sound and 4K Visuals. The re-release teaser of Shiva will be attached with the theatrical prints of Rajinikanth starrer Coolie, which hits theatres on Thursday.