This presentation talks about the different narrative approaches in Telugu Cinema. It also highlights the importance of realistic and formalistic styles in film making.

1. Dr. J.JANARDHAN
Realistic& Formalistic approaches in
Contemporary Telugu Cinema

2. If the film is simple,
you can include a hundred details that create the
illusion of actuality better
-Satyajit Ray

3. FILM MAKING TENDANCIES
• Cinema emerged as a window through which world is
revealing
• Lumiere brothers revealed ‘The Arrival of a Train’
‘Workers Leaving the Factory’
• Marie-Georges-Jean Méliès experimented ‘A Trip to the
Moon’

4. FILM MAKING TENDANCIES
• Lumieres’ brothers introduced the capturing the happening in
the society in a realistic approach
• In contrast, Georges Melies shaped his dreams as
formalistic with the help of magics
• They introduced two different styles of film making in the
world
• Telugu cinema had quickly adopted the narrative styles

5. FILM MAKING TENDANCIES
• Raghupati Venkaiah Naidu to Venkatesh Maha followed narrative
tendencies
• Sociological, Mythological, Fantasy films were made in formalistic
and realistic approaches
• KV Reddy, G.Ramabrahmam, V. Madhusudhan Rao have made
the films in realistic in their depiction; Raithu Bidda (1939),
Zamindar (1965),
• Venkatesh Maha’s C/o Kancharapalem (2018) have proved that
realistic film approach can effectively deliver the content through
the big screen (S.J., 2017).

6. FILM MAKING TENDANCIES
• The German film theorist Siegfried Kracauer stated about the
reality by fixing the camera to the ground
• It was natural for filmmakers to concentrate on movie
material phenomena
• Secondly, films may seize upon physical reality with all
manifold movements through setting up the stage not only for
the action but the surroundings as well.

7. FILM MAKING TENDANCIES
• Siegfried Kracauer and Andre Bazin did not provide a
strict definition
• But, they could be labeled as formalistic tendency is
the sense of unstaged reality.
• Formalist films do not attempt to hide the fact but
revel in unreality and subjectivity

8. METHODOLOGY
• Adopted purposive sampling method
• Selected four films based on the representative of contemporary
Telugu cinema.
• All four films were released in the last four years
• Analysed each film’s subject matter and formal narrative
elements and how they relate to Kracauer and Bazin’s theories.
• All four films reached wide audiences and well received by a
wide audience

9. RESULTS & DISCUSSION
• C/o Kancharapalem (2018)-Realistic approach
• Made with the spanning of four love stories of one
character
• Director Venkatesh Maha showed the romance in every stage
of protagonist life like primary school, teenage, young and
middle-aged bachelor’s office romance and
• Having religious diversity like a Hindu, Christian, and
Muslim backdrop to the characters.

10. RESULTS & DISCUSSION
• It was completely picturized in a small town in real locations
• There is no single setting in the movie
• This low budget film was featuring over 70 non-professional
debutant actors (TNM Staff, 2019)
• The use of non-professional actors in key roles is also
indicative of the realistic tendency in filmmaking

11. RESULTS & DISCUSSION
• BAAHUBALI- FRANCHISE
• Sivudu reaches the top of the waterfall is compiled
dramatically.
• Avanthika disappears in the form of butterflies
• Tatto's episode is completely dramatized with the help of
editing.
• Objectively experience the world of Mahishmati
• The performance styles in movie is also in keeping with
the formalist tendency

12. RESULTS & DISCUSSION
• Pre-interval block of stoppage the Pindaries
• Bhallala deva oath-taking ceremony as a king
• Kattappa telling the last wish of the Amarandra Baahubali to
Sivagami episodes were completely narrated in formalistic
approaches with the help of tonal montage techniques
• Amarendra Baahubali provided the drinking water to the
folks. Similarly,
• Mahendra Baahubali showed the way to reach the
Maahishmati (Port) with the help of a palm tree.

13. RESULTS & DISCUSSION
• Surender Reddy’s Syeraa Narasimha Reddy (2019) is also
formulaic.
• The action sequences seem to be superficial.
• The warning message to the Britishers was scripted was in a
formalistic approach.
• Tamanna episodes were completely designed in fictional
• She popularized the Narasimhareddy freedom movement
Tamilnadu

14. CONCLUSIONS
• These tendencies are still dominant in Telugu cinema
• Filmmakers are intent on presenting the superheroes movies
with a level of courageous realism
• The debutant filmmakers have been adopting realistic
tendencies
• Later on the success, formalistic approach is the option to
create trademark in the art of filmmaking.

15. THANK YOU