Actors from other film industries stepping into villain roles in Telugu cinema is not a new trend. Years ago, Kannada stars like Tiger Prabhakar and Devaraj regularly appeared as antagonists in films featuring Chiranjeevi and Balakrishna. Later, actors like Sudeep took on the memorable villain role in Eega under Rajamouli’s direction. Malayalam superstar Mammootty also played a negative role in his Telugu debut Swathi Kiranam. After that phase, the trend shifted and Bollywood actors like Mukesh Rishi, Ashutosh Rana, Pradeep Rawat, and Sayaji Shinde became the most preferred Telugu villains.
Now that earlier trend is making a strong comeback. In Varanasi, Mahesh Babu will face Malayalam superstar Prithviraj Sukumaran who plays a full-length villain role. Inside reports suggest that his character is intense, violent, and well layered. There are also rumors that Rajamouli designed a special song just for his character. This shows how important his presence is in the film. Unlike Salaar where he played a morally grey character and a friend to Prabhas, this time he is expected to be ruthless, powerful, and terrifying.
Another exciting addition is Tovino Thomas who has joined Jr. NTR and Prashanth Neel’s upcoming project. His role has not been revealed officially. However, Neel hinted that Tovino will play the main antagonist. Recently when Tovino was asked about it, he avoided answering, which hints that the team wants to maintain suspense.
Joju George also attempted a villain role in Aadikeshava. But because the film was atrocious, his performance could not make the expected impact. Still, he is one actor who can deliver an outstanding villain role if he gets the right script and director.
Pan India cinema has changed the audience mindset. Language barriers are disappearing, and viewers now care more about strong performances than regional identity. This shift is helping Telugu cinema bring in fresh faces, stronger screen presence, and powerful villains from across industries.
This new wave is bringing fresh faces, fresh energy, and new storytelling styles into Telugu films. If this trend continues, audiences can expect more exciting hero versus villain clashes. Those kinds of clashes are what make the theatrical experience truly electric.
