| Athadu | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Trivikram Srinivas |
| Written by | Trivikram Srinivas |
| Produced by | Duggirala Kishore M. Ram Mohan |
| Starring | Mahesh Babu Trisha Prakash Raj Sonu Sood |
| Cinematography | K. V. Guhan |
| Edited by | A. Sreekar Prasad |
| Music by | Mani Sharma |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Jayabheri Arts |
Release date |
|
Running time | 172 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Telugu |
Athadu (transl. He)[1] is a 2005 Indian Telugu-language action thriller film written and directed by Trivikram Srinivas and produced by Jayabheri Arts.[2] The film stars Mahesh Babu, alongside Trisha, Sonu Sood, Prakash Raj, Nassar, Sunil, Sayaji Shinde, Kota Srinivasa Rao and Brahmanandam.[3] The music was composed by Mani Sharma, while the cinematography and editing were handled by K. V. Guhan and Sreekar Prasad. The film follows a professional killer, hired to stage the assassination of a politician, who finds himself framed for the actual murder, leading him to assume a dead man's identity to escape the law.
Athadu received positive reviews from critics and audiences, and it went on to become one of the highest grossing Telugu films of all time. The film received several accolades including three Nandi Awards and a Filmfare Award South for Best Director – Telugu. Athadu is widely considered to be a modern classic of Telugu cinema. It holds the record of being the most telecasted Telugu film with over 1,000 times on television.[4]
It was remade in Hindi in 2009 as Ek: The Power of One.[5]
- ^ "Tollywood takes divine path with its themes". The New Indian Express. 6 May 2012. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
- ^ "Cheers for Mahesh's fans". The Hindu. 26 May 2005.
- ^ "Pawan Kalyan Was To Play Mahesh Babu's Role In Athadu". Oneindia Entertainment. 24 October 2013. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
- ^ "Did you know? Mahesh Babu's 'Athadu' achieves remarkable milestone with over 1000 telecasts!". The Times of India. 8 August 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
- ^ "The great role reversal of Tollywood". 6 November 2012.