Filmfare Award for Best Director – Telugu

The Filmfare Award for Best Director – Telugu is presented by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Telugu films. The awards were extended to "Best Director" in 1972.^[1][2][3]

Filmfare Award for Best Director – Telugu
The 2023 recipient: Venu Yeldandi
Awarded for	Best Director in Telugu films
Country	India
Presented by	Filmfare
First award	K. V. Reddy, Sri Krishna Satya (1972)
Currently held by	Venu Yeldandi, Balagam (2023)
Website	Filmfare Awards

Superlatives

Superlative	Best Director – Telugu
Most awards	K. Viswanath	8 wins
Most nominations	S. S. Rajamouli	10 nominations

• K. Viswanath has the record of winning most awards eight and winning the award twice in a row, on three separate occasions (1974–1975, 1982-1983 and 1986–1987). S. S. Rajamouli has received the award five times, which is the second most.
• Nandini Reddy and Sripriya were the only two female directors to have been nominated for their films Ala Modalaindi (2011) and Drushyam (2014) respectively.
• Krish remains the only director to have won the award for his first two films, Gamyam and Vedam, consecutively.
• Sukumar, Venu Yeldandi and Krish are the only directors who received the award for their debut film.

Winners

Year	Director	Film	Ref
2023	Venu Yeldandi	Balagam	[4]
2022	S. S. Rajamouli	RRR	[5]
2020–2021	Sukumar	Pushpa: The Rise	[6]
2018	Nag Ashwin	Mahanati	[7]
2017	S. S. Rajamouli	Baahubali: The Conclusion	[8]
2016	Vamsi Paidipally	Oopiri	[9]
2015	S. S. Rajamouli	Baahubali: The Beginning	[10]
2014	Vikram Kumar	Manam	[11]
2013	Trivikram Srinivas	Atharintiki Daaredi	[12]
2012	S. S. Rajamouli	Eega	[13]
2011	Sreenu Vaitla	Dookudu	[14]
2010	Krish	Vedam	[15]
2009	S. S. Rajamouli	Magadheera	[16]
2008	Krish	Gamyam	[17]
2007	Sekhar Kammula	Happy Days	[18]
2006	Puri Jagannadh	Pokiri	[19]
2005	Trivikram Srinivas	Athadu	[20]
2004	Sukumar	Arya	[21]
2003	Gunasekhar	Okkadu	[22][23]
2002	Krishna Vamsi	Khadgam	[24]
2001	Teja	Nuvvu Nenu	[25]
2000	K. Vijaya Bhaskar	Nuvve Kavali	[26]
1999	B. Gopal	Samarasimha Reddy	[27]
1998	Krishna Vamsi	Anthahpuram	[28]
1997	K. Raghavendra Rao	Annamayya	[29]
1996	Krishna Vamsi	Ninne Pelladata	[30]
1995	K. Viswanath	Subha Sankalpam	[31]
1994	S. V. Krishna Reddy	Subhalagnam	[32]
1993	K. Raghavendra Rao	Allari Priyudu	[33]
1992	K. Viswanath	Aapadbandhavudu	[34]
1991	Kranthi Kumar	Seetharamayya Gari Manavaralu	[35][36]
1990	K. Raghavendra Rao	Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari	[33]
1989	Mani Ratnam	Geethanjali	[37][38]
1988	M. V. Raghu	Kallu	[39][40]
1987	K. Viswanath	Sruthilayalu	[41]
1986	K. Viswanath	Swathi Muthyam	[42][43]
1985	Singeetham Srinivasa Rao	Mayuri	[44][45][46]
1984	Jandhyala	Srivariki Premalekha	[47]
1983	K. Viswanath	Saagara Sangamam	[48]
1982	K. Viswanath	Subhalekha	[49]
1981	Dasari Narayana Rao	Premabhishekam	[50]
1980	Bapu	Vamsa Vruksham	[51]
1979	Dasari Narayana Rao	Gorintaku	[52]
1978	K. Balachander	Maro Charitra	[53]
1977	K. Raghavendra Rao	Prema Lekhalu	[54]
1976	Bapu	Seetha Kalyanam	[55][56]
1975	K. Viswanath	Jeevana Jyothi	[57]
1974	K. Viswanath	O Seeta Katha	[58]
1973	T. Rama Rao	Jeevana Tharangaalu	[59]
1972	K. V. Reddy	Sri Krishna Satya	[60]

Nominations

Before 2000 year there have been no nominations for Filmfare Awards South in Telugu films, The panel of judges jury members are selected for winners in different Categories.^[61]

2000s

• 2001: Teja – Nuvvu Nenu
  • B. Gopal – Narasimha Naidu
  • Krishna Vamsi – Murari
• 2002: Krishna Vamsi – Khadgam
  • Puri Jagannadh – Idiot
  • Teja – Jayam
  • V. V. Vinayak – Aadi
• 2003: Gunasekhar – Okkadu
  • Rasool Ellore – Okariki Okaru
  • S. S. Rajamouli – Simhadri
  • YVS Chowdary – Seetayya
• 2004: Sukumar – Arya
  • K. Vijaya Bhaskar – Malliswari
  • S. S. Rajamouli – Sye
  • Sekhar Kammula – Anand
• 2005: Trivikram Srinivas – Athadu
  • Muppalaneni Shiva – Sankranti
  • Prabhu Deva – Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana
  • Puri Jagannadh – Super
  • S. S. Rajamouli – Chhatrapati
• 2006: Puri Jagannadh – Pokiri
  • Bhaskar – Bommarillu
  • S. S. Rajamouli – Vikramarkudu
  • Shekhar Kammula – Godavari
• 2007: Sekhar Kammula – Happy Days
  • Puri Jagannadh – Desamuduru
  • S. S. Rajamouli – Yamadonga
  • Sreenu Vaitla – Dhee
  • Tulasiram – Mantra
• 2008: Krish – Gamyam
  • Bhaskar – Parugu
  • Ravi Babu – Nachavule
  • Sreenu Vaitla – Ready
  • Trivikram Srinivas – Jalsa
• 2009: S. S. Rajamouli – Magadheera
  • Chaitanya Dantaluri – Banam
  • Kodi Ramakrishna – Arundhati
  • Sukumar – Arya 2
  • Surender Reddy – Kick

2010s

• 2010: Krish – Vedam
  • Boyapati Srinu – Simha
  • Gautham Vasudev Menon – Ye Maaya Chesave
  • Sekhar Kammula – Leader
  • Vamsi Paidipally – Brindavanam
• 2011: Sreenu Vaitla – Dookudu
  • Bapu – Sri Rama Rajyam
  • Dasaradh – Mr. Perfect
  • Nandini Reddy – Ala Modalaindi
  • Sukumar – 100% Love
• 2012: S. S. Rajamouli – Eega
  • Harish Shankar – Gabbar Singh
  • Krish – Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum
  • Puri Jagannadh – Business Man
  • Trivikram Srinivas – Julayi
• 2013: Trivikram Srinivas- Atharintiki Daaredi
  • Koratala Siva – Mirchi
  • Srikanth Addala – Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu
  • Vijaykumar Konda – Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde
  • Virinchi Varma – Uyyala Jampala
• 2014: Vikram Kumar – Manam
  • Chandoo Mondeti – Karthikeya
  • Sripriya – Drushyam
  • Sujeeth – Run Raja Run
  • Surender Reddy – Race Gurram
• 2015: S. S. Rajamouli – Baahubali: The Beginning
  • Koratala Siva – Srimanthudu
  • Kranthi Madhav – Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju
  • Krish – Kanche
  • Trivikram Srinivas – S/O Satyamurthy
• 2016: Vamsi Paidipally – Oopiri
  • Koratala Siva – Janatha Garage
  • Ravikanth Perepu – Kshanam
  • Sukumar – Nannaku Prematho
  • Tharun Bhascker Dhaassyam – Pelli Choopulu
  • Trivikram Srinivas – A Aa
• 2017: S. S. Rajamouli – Baahubali 2: The Conclusion
  • Krish – Gauthamiputra Satakarni
  • Sandeep Reddy Vanga – Arjun Reddy
  • Sankalp Reddy – Ghazi
  • Satish Vegesna – Sathamanam Bhavati
  • Sekhar Kammula – Fidaa
• 2018: Nag Ashwin – Mahanati
  • Indraganti Mohan Krishna – Sammohanam
  • Koratala Siva – Bharat Ane Nenu
  • Parasuram – Geetha Govindam
  • Sukumar – Rangasthalam
  • Venkatesh Maha – C/o Kancharapalem

2020s

• 2020–2021: Sukumar – Pushpa: The Rise
  • Buchi Babu Sana – Uppena
  • Karuna Kumar – Palasa 1978
  • Rahul Sankrityan – Shyam Singha Roy
  • Sekhar Kammula – Love Story
  • Trivikram Srinivas – Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo
  • Uday Gurrala – Mail
• 2022: S. S. Rajamouli – RRR
  • Chandoo Mondeti – Karthikeya 2
  • Hanu Raghavapudi – Sita Ramam
  • Sai Kiran – Masooda
  • Sashi Kiran Tikka – Major
  • Vimal Krishna – DJ Tillu
• 2023: Venu Yeldandi – Balagam
  • Anil Ravipudi – Bhagavanth Kesari
  • Karthik Varma Dandu – Virupaksha
  • Prashanth Neel – Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire
  • Sai Rajesh Neelam – Baby
  • Shouryuv – Hi Nanna
  • Srikanth Odela – Dasara