International Women's Day, March 8, 2025: 5 Best Women-Centric Telugu Films to Watch

The International Women's Day will be celebrated tomorrow, the 8th of March. Just like every year, it's a day dedicated to supporting and celebrating women's social, economic, cultural, and political achievements. The theme for Women's Day this year is "Accelerate action", highlighting the significance of effectively and decisively acting to achieve gender equality. This theme encourages collective efforts from governments, organizations, and individuals, to remove barriers and focus on creating an environment of equal opportunities for women.

Coming to movies, themes that run around women and the issues they face have always worked wonders on the big screen across the country. Filmmakers in the South and North have managed to produce some inspiring content that will be cherished for generations to come. Previously, women-centric movies used to be appreciated only by critics but now the situation has changed in the country. Alongside critical acclaim, the women-centric stories that the filmmakers want to tell are also turning out to be giant blockbusters. Multiple female stars have emerged across languages and it won't stop any time soon.

Let's take a look at some of the most loved and appreciated female-centric movies in Telugu cinema. From the likes of Bhanupriya to Nivetha Thomas, the list attempts to accommodate stories told and centered on women across genres.

1) Mahanati

The biopic of one of the legendary heroines of Tollywood, Mahanti revolves around Keerthy Suresh, who essayed the role of Savithri. The legendary Tollywood actress' life is a bed full of thorns and the way she eventually gave her life to alcoholism breaks the audience's heart. Keerthy Suresh portrayed the role to perfection and in fact, it is one of the most well-made biopics to have ever come out of Telugu cinema in recent times.

2) Arundhati

The list will be incomplete without a film from Tollywood's first lady superstar, Anushka. Ever since her debut in Telugu, Anushka has received immense love from fans and she has soon become a household name with diverse roles. There reached a point where she attempted to take a slight detour by allowing filmmakers to write stories for her instead of playing the hero's love interest in a commercial pot-boiler. This decision allowed Kodi Ramakrishna to come up with an insane horror thriller named Arundhati and during the time of its release, it shattered box office numbers. The film also gave a lot of confidence to numerous directors who want to narrate women-centric stories. In that, Anushka is truly a pioneer after the great Vijayashanti in Tollywood.

3) Osey Ramulamma

Any women-centric movie list in Telugu will be incomplete without the great Vijayashanti. Set in the land of Telangana, Osey Ramulamma follows Ramulamma, whose life turned upside down because of the Dora, Jagannayak Patwari. How Ramulamma emerges as a true leader after learning the ideology of the Naxals forms a major part of the movie and it remains one of Vijayashanti's biggest hits. Directed by the late veteran Dasari Narayana Rao, the movie is a smash hit at the Telugu box office.

4) Rudramadevi

If Arundhati cemented Anushka's name as a Tollywood super star, Rudramadevi proved that she can pull off periodic roles with ease as well. Thanks to the massive success of Bahubali, Anushka's role as the Queen was widely appreciated and loved by the masses and eventually made this Guna Sekar-directorial a massive hit at the box-office.

5) Virata Parvam

One of the best movies to ever come out of Telugu cinema, Virata Parvam, directed by Venu Udugula, has Sai Pallavi playing Vennela, a girl who grew up in Warangal district when the tensions between Naxals and the Police were at their peak. Having grown up inspired by her father’s poetry, Vennela begins to admire the works of Comrade Ravanna (played by Rana Daggubati). Like in every film, Pallavi added so much depth to her character that it becomes impossible to imagine Virata Parvam without Vennela. If Fidaa was the film that made Sai Pallavi reach Telugu people’s hearts, Virata Parvam cemented her place as a fine actress. 

Some other notable mentions in the list include Oh Baby, Anukokunda Oka Roju, Swarnkamalam, and 35 Chinna Katha Kaadu.