There’s a certain kind of joy that comes with watching a Tharun Bhascker film.
It’s not about scale or hype, it’s about freshness. His writing, his characters, his humor, everything feels rooted and real. That’s exactly why he built such a strong following in the Telugu states.
Which is why the current phase feels a bit confusing.
For a filmmaker whose biggest strength is direction, the output has been surprisingly limited. Apart from returning now with ENE 2, there hasn’t been a consistent flow of films from him as a director.
Instead, we’ve seen him explore acting.
There’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, it’s completely fair for any artist to experiment and follow what interests them. But the reality is, the films where he appeared as a lead haven’t really made a strong impact, either at the box office or in terms of performance recall.
And that’s where the concern comes in.
Because while he experiments, there’s a growing gap, a void that his kind of storytelling used to fill. His films weren’t just entertaining; they had a distinct voice that is currently missing in Telugu cinema.
That’s what makes this feel like a missed phase.
Not because he is doing something wrong, but because he is capable of something much more impactful.
Maybe this is a personal take.
Maybe it sounds a bit selfish.
But when a director has the ability to create films that genuinely connect, the expectation naturally leans towards wanting more of that work.
And that’s exactly the case here.
With ENE 2, there is hope that he reconnects with what he does best, storytelling. Because Telugu cinema doesn’t just need more films.
It needs films with voice.
And Tharun Bhascker has one of the clearest voices out there.
