It was a year of fewest releases. Telugu cinema would churn out about 80-100 reviewable movies every year. But coronavirus caused much destruction and a number of potentially amazing stuff never made it to the box-office. After the huge Sankranthi releases, the year didn't take much time to leave the audience entertainment-starved.

The dry spell began in mid-March. April, May, June and July went without noteworthy releases. OTT started releasing movies directly in August, slowly and surely. The pace picked up only in October. But, most of the direct-to-streaming titles were pathetic. 

Despite the year being such a colossal disaster, we could think of five movies that really made the grade. Although some of you woud have expected 'Middle Class Melodies' to be put in the Top 5, we regret to say that we don't think it really measured up. 

Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo

Nobody expected a star hero, a star filmmaker and a star composer to be back in their perfect form in years! This movie was a rare gem where Allu Arjun delivered a memorable performance. Trivikram Srinivas understood the talent of Bunny and also tapped into his strength for story-telling with an entertainment meant for families. And S Thaman's songs were out of the world. Even as the year draws to a close, 'Samajavaragamana', 'Ramuloo Ramulaa' and 'Butta Bomma' sound as fresh as ever. No wonder that this movie's box-office records will be difficult to smash. 

'AVPL' also had a rarefied ensemble cast. Murali Sharma, Sachin Khedekar, Jayaram and Tabu outcompeted each other.

Aakasame Nee Haddhu Raa

Unarguably the best film to release directly on OTT, this Suriya-starrer was remarkable in a number of ways. Sudha Kongara told a thoroughly-engaging tale of an ordinary man with panache and finesse. The narrative not only balanced life and larger-than-life cinematic tropes but also did it in a gripping fashion. Suriya's flawless performance left everyone mesmerized. Aparna Balamurali, Paresh Rawal and Urvasi were amazing. 

This one also had some fine work by composer GV Prakash Kumar. It's telling that the best OTT release of the year is a dubbed one and not a straight Telugu film. If a reminder was needed that Tollywood nees to pull its socks, here it is! 

Bheeshma

Considered the biggest hit in Nithiin's career, the film clicked for a number of reasons. It had consistent comedy and some fine music. Directed by Venky Kudumula, its story was not novel. However, the film showcased Nithiin's character as a lucky fellow who strikes big after he catches the attention of the owner of an organic company. Rashmika Mandanna, Vennela Kishore, and Anant Nag, in that order, gave nice performances. Mahati Swara Sagar's music was splendid, especially 'Whattey Beauty'.

HIT: The First Case

Directed by debutant Sailesh Kolanu, the police procedural starred Vishwak Sen in the role of a cop. Nicely executed and smartly treated, 'HIT' was a solid thriller with gravitas. Neat performances, especially by Vishwak Sen, and the high-end technical output made it winsome. A major complaint was about the climax. Sans a gripping story and a thrilling climax, the film did slacken a bit.

Colour Photo

Directed by debutant Sandeep Raj, this one was rare by the virtue of acing it with a semi-tragic climax. The idea of infusing a fake pre-climax was terrific. Headlined by debutant lead Suhaas and Chandini Chowdary, it starred Sunil as the antagonist. Themed on pure love and classcism, it had some effective lines. Although it was not a consistent product and had its share of mediocrity, 'Colour Photo' is still one of the best storylines in years. This it achieved despite grappling with a difficult sub-genre: Romantic tragedy. It's also one of the very, very few good movies to come out on OTT this year.