Victory Venkatesh - Top Ten films - Part 1

Venkatesh in Laxmi

(1): Prema
Banner: Raajeswari unit
Director: Suresh Krishna
Producer: D.Rama Naidu
Year of the Release: 1988
Box-Office Result: Super Hit

Prema was Suresh Krishna's first straight movie in Telugu. His debut film Satya was dubbed into Telugu and went unnoticed though it was shot well. By looking at his performance and the script that he narrated to Rama naidu, he wanted to produce a film with Suresh Krishna. As a result of it, Prema was happened. It was a love story, told in, Suresh Krishna's style. Venkatesh, then was, doing regular format roles and this was little different to his earlier roles. As an orphan, he better performed in the first half and as a true lover, given decent performance in the later half. Revathy, was his co-star, who did the naughty teenage girl role. Ilayaraja's soul stirring music added life to the movie. Despite all these, film wasn't well received at the box-office. Venkatesh won the best actor award from the AP Government.

(2): Swarna Kamalam
Banner : Bhanu Art creations
Director: K.Viswanath
Producer: K.Benarji
Year of the Release: 1988
Box-Office Result: Super Hit

Working under K.Viswanath's direction was a great gift to any upcoming artiste. Venkatesh was lucky to have got a call from Viswanath in the early days of his career. Venkatesh, being an upcoming actor, still not matured to do performance oriented roles that time, where as Viswanath kind of movies require some natural performance. One really wondered how this would be possible? But they made it possible. Viswanath cleverly used the potential of Venkatesh that time and offered a role of a young painter who craves for traditional arts. Though movie had importance to a legend in koochipudi dance, and his daughter, this character takes the lead in their life and supports them till the end. With excellent songs from Ilayaraja, spell bounding histrionics from BhanuPriya and last but not least, fine performance from Venkatesh, this movie reached the target audience. Venkatesh, with this film, proved that he had ambitions to do different roles if chances were given.

(3): Bobbili Raaja
Banner: Suresh Productions
Director: B.Gopal
Producer: D.Suresh
Year of the Release: 1990
Box-Office Result: Sensational Hit

This was Venkatesh's first biggest commercial success. Though nothing new to offer in this same old revenge drama, it was well packed with all the commercial ingredients that made this film a golden duck at the box-office. With this film, venkatesh's fan following had almost doubled. The clash between Atta-alludu once again proved that Andhra box-office never get sick of this theme if well executed. Late ‘Divya Bharati' was introduced with his film, she became very popular. Ilayaraja songs were rage and helped for the film's repeat value. Venkatesh had done this role with ease. The mass oriented dialogues and histrionics of him were well received and eventually, he had become big mass star with this film's marathon success. It had broken many of the box-office records live that time.

(4): Chanti
Banner: Creative commercials
Director: Raviraaja Pinisetty
Producer: KS Ramarao
Year of the Release: 1992
Box-Office Result: Sensational Hit

This movie was a remake of a Tamil super hit film directed by P.Vasu. There is only one word to express the success of this film Phenomenal. There is no wonder if one says people have thronged to theatres on bullock carts from rural areas only to see this film. The mother-child sentiment moved the audience to the core by the great support of Ilayarajas lilting music. Venkatesh was one lucky person to get good scripts/good characters in right time in his career. He utilized them with proper planning and care. Though he was labeled as Remake hero, but it didn't stop him winning many hearts. Venkatesh's popularity had seen a big crest at this juncture. Chanti had re-written the box-office stamina of Telugu cinema in terms of any aspect that time. Producers even had plans to release a book on the records this film had created. This was the first film to cross 100 days in more than 40 direct centers that was a industry record that time. Meena & Raviraaja were another persons benefited out of this film. With the stupendous success of this film, venkatesh realized that he should do more remakes to keep his success profile high. He succeeded in that aspect with so many remakes and maintained the tag of victory venkatesh.

(5): Sundara Kaanda
Banner: Soudamini creations
Director: K Raghavendra rao
Producer: KVV Satya Narayana
Year of the Release: 1992
Box-Office Result: Super Hit

This was again a remake film by Venkatesh. For a change, venkatesh had chosen the soft romantic film rather going for a heavy sentimental movie again. It worked out. This college backdrop movie had its own mark of entertainer and leaf of sentiment in the end. Venkatesh came up with brilliant performance as lecturer venkateswarlu. Comedy scenes in the class room, between Meena , Aparna and Venkatesh entertained all the classes. K.Raghavendra rao did justice to the original script done by Bhagyaraaja. Songs tuned by Keeravani were instant hit and added more attraction. Venkatesh, once again proved that he could do justice to all sort of roles without having any image problems. This movie ran very well despite having a tight opposition at the box-office in the form of Nagarjuna starrer Presdient gaari Pellam , which was a come back film Nagarjuna.