2019 was rather a great year for regional content, especially the Telugu web-content. ZEE5 was a pioneer in bringing forth talent and stories from the remotest corners of the two Telugu-speaking states. We’ve listed below six of our top picks, from the many others available out there. Some were conversation starters and some others were barrier-breakers. Unless one is living under the rock, there isn’t a way to miss these amazing shows. How many of our favourites have you ticked off your watch-list?

Directed by Anish Kuruvilla, Gods of Dharmapuri is what we call a game-changer. The show is led by a stellar cast like Satyadev Kancharana and Karthik Rathnam. It also features Malayalam star Sruthi Jayan and Kannada actor, Samyukta Hornad. The director calls this story of power succession to be ‘one-of-a-kind gangster-family drama’. Critics and viewers cannot stop raving about this show. And, that is what makes it #1.

Amala Akkineni took a two-decade-long sabbatical from films. After trying her hand at cameos, the actor returned with a bang. She led the show, High Priestess single-handedly, which went on to set new benchmarks. It is directed by her friend Pushpa Ignatius, and we could not thank the two ladies for introducing a simplistic style of story-telling. The plot scared us, gave us hope, blew our mind and taught us life-lessons. What more could you ask for?

We laughed our wits out while watching Dhrusti. Director Ram Abbaraju’s first feature film is said to by a crime-thriller, but it has a lot more packed into it. While a murder-mystery forms the basis of the plot of Dhrusti, comedy is used as icing on the cake. The actors, Rahul Ravindran and Vennela Kishore are sure to keep you engaged throughout the two hours.

Based on true incidents that occurred in a small village near Araku, Kailasapuram is a gripping tale to watch.  The show is about the youngsters in this village. They find themselves drowning deeper in drugs and drug peddling, every time they try to come out of it. A wise person once said, web series are meant to explore characters, while films are meant to explore stories. Kailasapuram does exactly that.

Yet another crime-mystery and a must-watch is Hawala. This show, too, is directed by a first-time director, Kowshik Bheemidi. With two couples at the forefront, the story exposes many unknown facts of Hawala process, illegal cricket-betting and the greed for money. While the show has a perfect end, we do sense a scope for Season 2. 

The newest show on the platform is Three Half Bottles. Three bachelors, one house, and unlimited conflicts. The plot traces the journey of the three boys, who start from stubbornness and evolve to find their truth and accept themselves, as they are. 

If you happened to miss these amazing shows of 2019, we suggest you get started with the binge-watch fest, ASAP. The new year is around the corner, and that means more exciting shows and content for us. Stay tuned to this space for all the latest updates.