Bandreddi Sukumar | |
|---|---|
 Sukumar promoting1: Nenokkadine in 2014 | |
| Born | Bandreddi Sukumar (1971-01-11)11 January 1971 (age 54)[1][2] Mattaparru,Andhra Pradesh, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Sukriti Bandreddi, Sukranth Naidu Bandreddi |
Bandreddi Sukumar is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who works inTelugu cinema. He is known for his intricate screenplays and for depicting protagonists with grey shades. He is the third highest-grossing Indian film director of all time and is one of the highest-paid directors in Indian cinema.[3][4]
Before entering the film industry, Sukumar worked as a mathematics and physicslecturer at ajunior college inKakinada for nearly seven years. He began his film career as a writer, working withEditor Mohan, and later assistedV. V. Vinayak onDil (2003). He made his directorial debut withArya (2004), which was a major success and earned him theFilmfare Award for Best Director – Telugu and theNandi Award for Best Screenplay Writer.
Sukumar's other notable films includeArya 2 (2009),100% Love (2011),1: Nenokkadine (2014),Nannaku Prematho (2016),Rangasthalam (2018),Pushpa: The Rise (2021), andPushpa 2: The Rule (2024).Rangasthalam became the third highest-grossing Telugu film at the time, behind theBaahubali films.[5]Pushpa was thehighest-grossing Indian film of 2021, whilePushpa 2 went on to become one of thehighest-grossing Indian films of all time.
In addition to his directorial work, Sukumar has produced films under his banner Sukumar Writings, includingKumari 21F (2015),Uppena (2021), andVirupaksha (2023). In recognition of his contributions to Telugu cinema, he received the K. V. Reddy Memorial Award in 2014.
Sukumar was born on 11 January 1971,[1][2] in aTelugu speakingKapu family in Mattaparru, a village nearMalikipuram in erstwhile East Godavari district (present-dayKonaseema district) ofAndhra Pradesh.[6] His father Tirupathi Rao Naidu was a rice trader and his mother Veera Veni was a homemaker. Sukumar was the youngest of the six children of Naidu and Veni. At the age of 6, following the slaughter of a rooster he loved, Sukumar practicedvegetarianism for a long time.[6]
He did his schooling fromZilla Parishad High School,Razole and graduated with a master's degree in mathematics.[7] He later worked as amathematics andphysics lecturer in Aditya Junior college,Kakinada.[8] After nearly seven years,[9][10] Sukumar and his junior Prakash Toleti decided to do something creative as they opined that their life has become too mundane as a lecturer.[11]
Sukumar and Toleti began their career as writers in Telugu cinema and worked as writers for a few films. After writing three scenes forJayanth C. Paranjee'sBavagaru Bagunnara? (1998), they were summoned by the college to help them in recruiting students. They walked out of the film on moral grounds.[11] Due to lack of earnings, Sukumar briefly continued to teach students, earned money, and returned to film industry.[8] He worked as an assistant director forManasichi Choodu (1998).[12] Sukumar later assistedEditor Mohan forKshemamga Velli Labhamga Randi (2000) andHanuman Junction (2001). Before making his directorial debut, Sukumar worked underV. V. Vinayak forDil (2003) as an assistant director.[10]
Sukumar began working on the script of his directorial debut,Arya (2004), inVisakhapatnam before joining the sets ofDil (2003). The producer of the film,Dil Raju, assured him that he would produce the film ifDil became a commercial success.[13] Sukumar chose to narrate the story of a boy who confesses his love to a girl right in the beginning of the story, as opposed to films likeDarr (1993),Kabhie Haan Kabhie Naa (1994), andKaadhal Kondein (2003), where the protagonist's love/obsession for the female lead is revealed towards the end, as he found that idea an "obsolete" one.[10] Raju was impressed with Sukumar's script andAllu Arjun was selected as the protagonist after considering the likes ofRavi Teja,Nithin, andPrabhas.Anuradha Mehta andSiva Balaji were chosen for the other two lead roles.[14]R. Rathnavelu andDevi Sri Prasad were chosen as the film's director of photography and music director, respectively, who both went on to collaborate with Sukumar in many of his future films.Arya was a huge commercial and critical success, collecting a distributor's share of₹16crores and a box-office gross of ₹30 crores, on a budget of₹4 crores.[15][14]The success ofArya catapulted Sukumar into stardom overnight.[10] He earned theFilmfare Award for Best Director – Telugu at the52nd Filmfare Awards South ceremony,[16] and theBest Screenplay Writer award at the annualNandi Awards ceremony.[17]
Sukumar then began working on the script ofJagadam (2007), a crime film starringRam Pothineni and Isha Sahni. UnlikeArya,Jagadam focused more on violence and in an interview withSouth Scope, Sukumar called the film an "act of bravado", adding that he "made it with an innocent passion", without thinking about the audience's response.[10]Jagadam received mixed reviews[10]withSify calling the film a "not so much a plot-driven one" albeit praising the work of its technical crew,[18] whereasRediff called it a "good effort".[19] Following the mixed reviews,Jagadam was a box office failure, although, over the years, it has gained a major cult following.
He then wrote and directedArya 2 (2009), which was promoted as the namesake sequel to his debutArya. It featured Allu Arjun,Kajal Aggarwal, andNavdeep in the lead roles and narrated the story of Arya, a psychotic orphan whose love for his childhood friend, Ajay, and his colleague, Geetha, is never reciprocated.[20] The film received mixed reviews from critics. However,Arya 2 became one of the few successful Telugu films of the year,[21] and was praised for its stylistic quotient and music.[10] Sukumar received a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Director – Telugu at the57th Filmfare Awards South ceremony,[22] but lost it toS. S. Rajamouli forMagadheera.[23] Rajamouli stated that he regards Sukumar as the best of the lot after watchingArya 2, which according to Sukumar "was the most precious and sweetest thing I have heard about myself".[10]
After a gap of two years, Sukumar's next directorial film100% Love (2011) was released. Sukumar envisioned the film's concept 15 years ago, which dealt with the simple conflicts couples face and the way they solve them, and made changes based on the technological and behavioural developments of the students in the colleges.[10]100% Love featuredNaga Chaitanya andTamannaah in the lead roles and was produced byAllu Aravind and Bunny Vasu.[24]100% Love was commercially successful,[25] collecting a share of ₹18.11 crore[26] and received theBest Home-viewing Feature Film award at the annual Nandi Awards ceremony.[27] Sukumar earned another nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Director – Telugu at the59th Filmfare Awards South,[28] and a nomination for the Best Director – Telugu at the1st South Indian International Movie Awards.[29]
After completing100% Love, Sukumar began working on1: Nenokkadine, apsychological thriller keepingMahesh Babu in mind as the protagonist as he felt that Mahesh had a universal appeal in terms of looks. The incident of a bus driver talking about a young boy who claims that his parents were murdered in that bus was taken as the story's base.[30] He worked on the film's script for two months,[31] and considered it as his dream project.[32]1: Nenokkadine was released on 10 January 2014 globally and received mixed reviews from the critics.[33][34] While Suresh Kavirayani ofDeccan Chronicle opined that Sukumar "fails to deliver" and the story is "run of the mill",[35] Sangeetha Devi Dundoo ofThe Hindu stated, "Habitual to watching films that begin with a great premise only to fall into the commercial trap of force-fit comic situations, it comes as a relief when Sukumar laces the psychological thriller with subtle wit that never takes the focus away from the plot".[36] Following the mixed reviews,1: Nenokkadine collected approximately₹28.9 crore share worldwide on a budget of₹60–70 crore, thus becoming a commercial failure.[37] Over the years,1: Nenokkadine became a major cult film.
In 2014, he wrote and directed a 2.5 minute short filmI Am That Change produced by and starring Allu Arjun.[38] Upon its release, the short film received viral response online and was acclaimed by many including celebrities for its concept and execution.[39]
Following the demise of his father Tirupathi Naidu, Sukumar decided to directNannaku Prematho starringN. T. Rama Rao Jr. andRakul Preet Singh in the lead roles.Nannaku Prematho, which was Rama Rao Jr.'s 25th film as an actor, dealt with an emotional relationship between a father and his son spanning the last 30 days of the father's life.[40] Released on 13 January 2016,Nannaku Prematho received positive reviews from the critics.[41] Pranita Jonnalagedda ofThe Times of India stated that the viewers see ups every time when Sukumar "decides to listen to his inner self and gives us some interestingly conceived sequences" and downs come whenever he "gives in to the prerequisite mandates of Telugu cinema".[42] An above average grosser at the domestic box office,[43]Nannaku Prematho became the third highest grossing Telugu film of all time in the overseas market.[44] His 2018 period action film withRam Charan titledRangasthalam received positive reviews with particular praise for Ram Charan's performance, and Sukumar's direction and screenplay.[45]Rangasthalam ended up asone of the highest-grossing Telugu films of all time.[46]
Post the success ofRangasthalam, Sukumar started working on the period action drama,Pushpa: The Rise (2021), starringAllu Arjun andRashmika. Budgeted between₹170–200 crores, it was released as a pan-Indian film and although it received mixed reviews from critics, the film was well received by the audiences and went on to get amazing commercial reception in Telugu, Hindi, and Tamil languages earning a total gross of₹373 crores by the end of its theatrical run.[47] Post the success ofPushpa: The Rise, Sukumar announced that the sequel,Pushpa 2: The Rule, is in development and production commenced in 2022. The film released on 5th December 2024 and was met with critical acclaim.
Sukumar met Thabitha Hamsini at the screening ofArya, in the Sudarshan Theatre,RTC X Roads, inHyderabad.[48] After a courtship of 4 years, they got married in 2009, in the presence of his parents and sister.[8] Thabitha's parents initially opposed their relationship due to Sukumar being a film director, however, they later accepted their alliance.[8] The couple have a daughter and a son, named Sukriti and Sukranth, respectively.[48][49]
As a writer, Sukumar is influenced by the works ofGudipati Venkatachalam,Yandamuri Veerendranath, andYaddanapudi Sulochana Rani. In an interview withDeccan Chronicle, he revealed that each of the romantic scenes in his films are inspired from the writings of either Veerendranath or Sulochana Rani.[8] Sukumar mentioned thatMartin Scorsese has had a huge influence on him.[50] He usesnon-linear screenplay for most of his films and few sequences of most of his films involve revelation of finest details and re-visiting a scene again and again.[51] His screenplays are mostly complex and multi-layered which earned him the reputation of being an intelligent screenplay writer. In an interview ofThe Times of India in January 2014, Sukumar said that emotions play a key role in his films, stating that a film "may have multiple subplots, but in the end, it's the emotional curve that connects with the audience".[52] Because of improvising the sequences on the sets and making changes to already filmed portions, his films took long time to complete their production phases.[53]
In most of his films, Sukumar's protagonists are shown to be characterised with grey shades. Y. Sunita Chowdary ofThe Hindu commented that Sukumar "revels in giving a slight twist to his protagonist, in his background and character" and leaves the audience to understand him as he "unties the knots during narration and justifies his behaviour and makes us root for him".[31] Karthik Keramalu ofCNN-IBN, in his review ofKumari 21F, stated that Sukumar's lead characters are "psychologically wired differently", adding that at least one of the characters in his films "behaves in a way that will amuse the audience and the other characters present in the film".[54] Regarding the same, Sukumar said, "We all have a lot of emotions and we suppress most of them fearing rejection. Instead we sport a smile and move on in this world. Problems arise when we don't enjoy all feelings like jealousy, selfishness and don't express them. To achieve something, there must be a driving force and that could be jealousy which you term as negative".[31]
Except for the short filmI Am That Change whose music was composed bySai Karthik,[55] Sukumar chose Devi Sri Prasad to compose the soundtrack and background score for all the films he directed.[56] Sukumar worked with cinematographer R. Rathnavelu forArya,Jagadam,[57]1: Nenokkadine,[58] andRangasthalam. When Raju asked Sukumar about the budget to be allotted toArya, Sukumar said that he first wants Rathnavelu on board.[59] In an interview toThe Hindu in March 2012, Rathnavelu said, "Sukumar's speciality is he can give you five different ways to solve every problem you encounter. He can get to the crux of the problem and figure out the best possible method to resolve it".[60] Because of their friendship with Sukumar, neither Rathnavelu nor Prasad charged any remuneration for his maiden production ventureKumari 21F.[61] He worked with B. Rajasekar, Venkat Prasad,Vijay K. Chakravarthy, andMirosław Kuba Brożek forArya 2,100% Love,Nannaku Prematho,Pushpa: The Rise, andPushpa 2: The Rule, respectively.[62][63]
Sukumar established Sukumar Writings in 2014 for presenting and producing films.[64][65][66] Sukumar Writings' first venture wasKumari 21F, which had Sukumar's norm technicians of Devi Sri Prasad composing music and R. Rathnavelu as the director of cinematography. Ashok Banreddi and Thomas Reddy joined as co-producers with P. A. Motion Pictures; it was co-produced by Vijaya Prasad Bandreddi and Thomas Reddy.
Sukumar provided the story and screenplay forKumari 21F, his debut feature film as a co-producer, which was directed by his assistant,Palnati Surya Pratap. He took inspiration from his college days in Razole where a young woman went to a picnic with some young men; a major undertaking for a woman at the time. Rumours were spread and the woman was labelled as a "loose" character, which stayed in Sukumar's mind.[67] Produced on a budget of₹6–9 crore,[a]Kumari 21F grossed₹38 crore and became the 12th highest grossing Telugu film of the year.[69] Siddharth Rao ofThe Times of India stated, "In an industry where a damsel-in-distress-wooed-and-saved-by-an-angry-young-man is the norm, this is refreshing. Kudos to the writer Sukumar for giving yet another off-beat story with characters that can't be put into a box".[70]
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Film | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Arya | Debut film | [13] |
| 2007 | Jagadam | [10] | |
| 2009 | Arya 2 | [10] | |
| 2011 | 100% Love | [10] | |
| 2014 | 1: Nenokkadine | [31] | |
| 2016 | Nannaku Prematho | [8] | |
| 2018 | Rangasthalam | [71] | |
| 2021 | Pushpa: The Rise | [72] | |
| 2024 | Pushpa 2: The Rule | [73] |
Other roles
| Year | Film | Director | Producer | Writer | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | I Am That Change | Yes | No | Yes | Short film | [74] |
| 2015 | Kumari 21F | No | Yes | Yes | Association with PA Motion Pictures | [75] |
| 2017 | Darsakudu | No | Yes | No | [76] | |
| 2018 | Kumari 21F | No | Presenter | Yes | Kannada film; remake ofKumari 21F | [77] |
| 2019 | Nani's Gang Leader | No | No | No | Cameo as himself | [78] |
| Gaddalakonda Ganesh | No | No | No | Cameo as himself | [79] | |
| 2020 | 100% Kadhal | No | Yes | Story | Tamil film; remake of100% Love | [80] |
| 2021 | Uppena | No | Yes | No | Association withMythri Movie Makers | [81] |
| 2022 | Aadavallu Meeku Johaarlu | No | No | No | Narrator | [82] |
| 18 Pages | No | Yes | Yes | Association withGA2 Pictures | [83] | |
| 2023 | Virupaksha | No | Yes | Screenplay | Association withSri Venkateswara Cine Chitra | [84] |
| 2024 | Manjummel Boys | No | No | No | Presenter only; in association withMythri Movie Makers for Telugu dubbed version | |
| 2025 | Gandhi Tatha Chettu | No | No | No | Presenter only; in association withMythri Movie Makers andGopi Talkies | |
| 2026 | Peddi | No | Yes | No | Association with Vriddhi Cinemas andMythri Movie Makers |
| Ceremony | Category | Film | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nandi Awards | Nandi Award for Best Screenplay Writer | Arya | Won | [17] |
| Filmfare Awards South | Filmfare Award for Best Director – Telugu | Won | [16] | |
| Arya 2 | Nominated | [22] | ||
| Rangasthalam | Nominated | [85] | ||
| Pushpa: The Rise | Won | |||
| 100% Love | Nominated | [28] | ||
| South Indian International Movie Awards | Best Director – Telugu | Nominated | [29] | |
| Nannaku Prematho | Nominated | [87] [88] | ||
| Rangasthalam | Won | |||
| Pushpa: The Rise | Won | |||
| CineMAA Awards | Best Director (Jury) | Arya | Won | [89] |
| Best Screenplay writer | Won | [89] | ||
| Santosham Film Awards | Best Director | Rangasthalam | Won | |
| KV Reddy memorial award (for contribution to Telugu cinema) | — | — | Won | [90] |
...Sukumar, turns 45 today.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)1: Nenokkadine may have opened to mixed reviews at the domestic box office, but the film has received a rating of 9.2 on Internet Movie Database (IMDB) website.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
