The Gaddar Film Awards 2025, hosted by the Telangana government, signified the revival of state-sponsored acknowledgment for Telugu cinema after a 14-year break. The ceremony took place at HITEX in Hyderabad on June 14, celebrating outstanding films released from June 2014 to December 2024. Major accolades included Best Feature Film for Kalki 2898 AD, Best Actor for Allu Arjun (Pushpa 2), and Best Actress for Nivetha Thomas (35: Chinna Katha Kaadu).
The event was attended by film icons such as Nandamuri Balakrishna, Allu Arjun, S.S. Rajamouli, Dil Raju, and Vijay Deverakonda, alongside political figures like Chief Minister Anumula Revanth Reddy, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Minister of Roads & Buildings & Cinematorgraphy, and Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Dy Chief Minister.
During his address, the Telangana Chief Minister expressed his sentiments, stating that while the government may seem strict, it is genuinely supportive of the film industry.
“Dil Raju garu highlighted the need to revive the culture of recognizing talent from the film sector. The Nandi Awards were introduced in 1964 in united Andhra Pradesh, with ANR being the first recipient of the Best Award. For the past nine years, there had been no award presentations, prompting our government to reintroduce them under the Gaddar Awards,” Revanth Reddy explained.
He also commended the Telugu film industry’s contributions. “Previously, Bollywood was often credited with being the face of Indian cinema, leading to misconceptions that the Telugu film industry was based in Chennai. Today, it is widely acknowledged that Telugu cinema is a representative of Indian cinema. I applaud everyone involved for making Hyderabad a central hub for Indian filmmaking,” he affirmed.
Revanth reminisced about the legacy of actors and noted, “We now have a fourth generation of actors. Many of them I have known since my student days, particularly Bunny, Venkat, Ashwini Dutt’s daughters, and Nag Ashwin.”
“Our government may come off as strict, but we truly care for each of you. We aim to advance the film industry even further,” he remarked, proposing that the industry should aim to meet Hollywood standards by 2047. The Telangana government is already working on the ‘Telangana Rising 2047’ initiative to promote development across all sectors. Revanth expressed a desire to include a chapter on the Telugu film industry in this initiative.
“Why aren’t we bringing Hollywood to us? Tell us what you need, and we’ll make it happen. I plan to remain active in politics for another 22 years and will support you in any way I can,” Revanth pledged to Rajamouli and the Tollywood community.
Additionally, Revanth Reddy urged the deputy chief minister of Telangana to acknowledge Rahul Sipligunj, a resident of Hyderabad’s Old City, who gained pride for his performance of “Naatu Naatu,” which won an Oscar.
Interestingly, prominent actors like Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna, Venkatesh, Mahesh Babu, Ram Charan, Jr. NTR, Prabhas, and others are conspicuous by their absence in this Awards function.
