From Jr NTR in ‘War 2’ to Ram Charan in ‘Zanjeer’, 13 Popular Telugu Stars Who Made Their Hindi Debut This Century and How Most Failed at the Box Office

After the success and Oscar glory of SS Rajamouli’s RRR, fans were thrilled to learn that one of its two main leads, Jr NTR, would make his Bollywood debut with War 2 - the sequel to the 2019 hit War and the sixth film in the YRF Spy Universe. At the time of the casting announcement, South cinema, particularly Telugu cinema, was making waves at the box office with films like Baahubali, RRR, Pushpa, and even Kannada’s KGF series. ‘War 2’ Movie Review: Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR’s Spy Showdown Sinks Under Bad VFX and Brain-Dead Screenplay.

However, despite Jr NTR holding his own opposite Hrithik Roshan, Ayan Mukerji’s War 2, released on August 14, received poor reviews. After a strong start, the film witnessed a steep drop at the box office, with trade experts already writing off its chances of being a hit.

Unfortunately for Jr NTR, he joins a long list of popular Telugu stars whose Hindi debuts ended in disappointment, particularly in the 2000s and beyond. While veterans like Chiranjeevi found moderate success with films in the 90s like Pratibandh and Aaj Ka Goondaraj, and Venkatesh’s Anari was a hit, their careers in Bollywood didn’t sustain. Similarly, Nagarjuna made waves with Ram Gopal Varma’s Shiva, but he too couldn’t establish himself as a solo lead in Hindi cinema. ‘War 2’: Did Jr NTR Change the Climax of Hrithik Roshan-Starrer To Keep His Fans Happy? Find Out!

The later generation of Telugu stars fared even worse, with their Bollywood debuts often turning into box office failures. Here’s a look at some of the most notable examples:

1. Ram Charan in Zanjeer (2013)

After gaining Hindi visibility through the popularity of Magadheera's dubbed version, Ram Charan chose to debut in Bollywood with the remake of Amitabh Bachchan’s Zanjeer, with Priyanka Chopra as his lead actress. Despite such a high-profile debut, Ram Charan failed to make an impact, and the film flopped badly.

2. Prabhas in Saaho (2019)

After Baahubali, all eyes were on Prabhas’ next big outing. The bilingual actioner Saaho opened strongly but was slammed by critics. Its inflated budget made recovery impossible, though the Hindi version did relatively better in the North. The less said about his next Hindi film - Adipurush - the better. Saaho Movie Review: Prabhas and Shraddha Kapoor’s Thriller Aims to Go Fast & Furious but Peaks At Race 3 Level.

3. Nithiin in Agyaat (2009)

Nithiin’s Bollywood debut was Ram Gopal Varma’s creature-horror Agyaat (2009), a blatant Predator rip-off. The film failed miserably, and Nithiin never did a Hindi film after that.

4. Rana Daggubati in Dum Maaro Dum (2011)

Now famous for Baahubali’s Bhallaladeva, Rana debuted in Bollywood with Rohan Sippy’s thriller Dum Maaro Dum. Despite decent reviews for its soundtrack and plot twists, the film was only an average grosser.

5. Naga Chaitanya in Laal Singh Chaddha (2022)

Unlike others before him in this list, Naga Chaitanya had a supporting role in Aamir Khan’s Hindi remake of Hollywood classic Forrest Gump. Unfortunately, despite being led by Aamir Khan, LSC didn't work well at the box office. Interestingly, he had replaced Vijay Sethupathi in the film for the same role.

6. Vijay Deverakonda in Liger (2022)

After attaining stardom with Arjun Reddy and Pelli Choopulu, Vijay Deverakonda was considered a prime candidate for the next pan-Indian star. Consequently, one can hardly blame Karan Johar for casting him as the lead in his own pan-India project, Liger. The film also featured Ananya Panday as the female lead and included a cameo from Mike Tyson. However, this bilingual sports entertainer turned out to be one of the worst films in nearly everyone’s involved careers and met a justifiable fate at the box office. Liger Movie Review: Vijay Deverakonda and Ananya Panday's Film is Aafat Max Pro!

7. Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas in Chatrapathi (2023)

The fact that SS Rajamouli is now a globally popular director and Prabhas can guarantee a huge box-office opening does not mean that remaking their films is a viable strategy for breaking into Bollywood. Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas learned this lesson the hard way when he played the lead in the Hindi remake of the Rajamouli-directed, Prabhas-starring Chatrapathi - even retaining the original title. If you haven't heard of this film, it’s not difficult to guess its performance at the box office.

8. Sudheer Babu in Baaghi (2016)

Sudheer Babu had better luck than others on this list - his debut Hindi film was successful enough to launch a franchise. This was despite the fact that he played the antagonist in the movie, which starred Tiger Shroff and Shraddha Kapoor in the lead roles.

9. Sundeep Kishan in Shor in the City (2010)

Sundeep Kishan has delivered credible work in Telugu and Tamil cinema. It is often overlooked that he appeared in a Hindi film early in his career, which was well-received by critics. Directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, Shor in the City was a black comedy that also starred Tusshar Kapoor, Radhika Apte, Senthil Ramamurthy, and Nikhil Dwivedi. Despite the critical praise, the film underperformed commercially.

10. Varun Tej in Operation Valentine (2024)

Capitalising on the success of Uri: The Surgical Strike, Varun Tej decided to try his luck in Hindi cinema with the bilingual war drama Operation Valentine, co-starring Manushi Chhillar. However, the poorly executed film failed to make a significant impact at the box office. Operation Valentine Movie Review: Varun Tej and Manushi Chillar's Aerial War Drama Fails to Make an Impactful Airstrike!

11. Naveen Polishetty in Chhichhore (2019)

Thanks to his frequent appearances in AIB parody sketches, many might not realise that this talented actor made his debut in Telugu cinema, where he is now an established star. To date, he has only done one Hindi film: Nitesh Tiwari's campus dramedy Chhichhore. Although the late Sushant Singh Rajput played the lead, Naveen made a strong impression as the potty-mouthed friend. The movie was a major box-office hit.

12. Adivi Sesh in Major (2022)

Goodachari star Adivi Sesh wrote and starred in the biopic of slain Indian martyr Sandeep Unnikrishnan. The film, titled Major, was produced simultaneously in Hindi and Telugu. While Sesh garnered positive reviews for his performance, the film did not earn enough to be considered a commercial hit.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 20, 2025 05:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).