Khaleja (meaning “Courage”) is a 2010 Telugu action-comedy movie directed by Trivikram Srinivas. The film stars Mahesh Babu, Anushka Shetty and other actors like Prakash Raj, Shafi, Sunil, Sameer Hassan, Amit Tiwari, Subbaraju, Tanikela Bharani, Brahmanandam and Ali in supporting roles. The story revolves around Raju (Mahesh Babu), a taxi driver who is looked up to as a god by the people of a small village. To save the village from the problems caused by illegal mining, he has to fight against the powerful businessman GK (Prakash Raj).
The film was Mahesh Babu’s comeback to acting after three years and his second film with Trivikram after Athadu. Khaleja released on 7 October 2010 and received good reviews from critics and audiences, but did not do well at the box office. Although it was not a financial success, the film won two Filmfare South Awards for Best Male Playback Singer and Best Lyricist. Over time, Khaleja became more acclaimed and is now seen as a cult classic, admired for its unique story and technical quality. It was also listed in Film Companion’s “25 Greatest Telugu Films of the Decade”.
Khaleja Movie Overview
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Trivikram Srinivas |
| Written by | Trivikram Srinivas |
| Produced by | Singanamala Ramesh Babu, C. Kalyan, S. Satya Rama Murthy |
| Starring | Mahesh Babu, Anushka Shetty, Prakash Raj |
| Cinematography | Yash Bhatt, Sunil Patel |
| Edited by | A. Sreekar Prasad |
| Music by | Mani Sharma |
| Production Company | Kanakaratna Movies |
| Distributed by | Geetha Arts |
| Release Date | 7 October 2010 |
| Running Time | 164 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Telugu |
| Budget | ₹30 crore |
Khaleja: Star Cast & Crew
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Mahesh Babu | Alluri Seetharama Raju |
| Prakash Raj | GK, Gopalakrishnan |
| Anushka | Subhashini (Subbu) (voice dubbed by Sowmya Sharma) |
| Sunil | Baabji |
| Vennela Kishore | Parimal, Raju’s friend |
| Sayaji Shinde | Rana, Siddha’s henchmen |
| Brahmanandam | Miriyam |
| Ali | Tom Cruise |
| Amit Tiwari | GK’s son |
| Nadhiya | Chandu, Subhashini’s mother |
| Brahmaji | Karthik |
| Supriya Karnik | GK’s wife |
| Archana | GK’s assistant |
| Sudha | GK’s assistant |
| Shafi | Siddha |
| Subbaraju | Govardhan |
| Sameer Hasan | Subbu’s uncle |
| Kota Srinivasa Rao | Raju’s grandfather |
| Tanikella Bharani | Durga Prasad, Subhashini’s father |
| Rao Ramesh | Tantrik, Village Head |
| Raghu Babu | Sundaram |
| Aman Dhaliwal | John |
| Ananth Babu | Ananth |
| Dharmavarapu Subramanyam | Taxi Owner |
| M. S. Narayana | Villager |
| Gundu Sudarshan | |
| Sriranjani | Subbu’s mother |
| Baby Annie | Revived dead girl |
| Micky Makhija | Dr. Paranji |
Box Office Collection of Khaleja
| AREA | SHARE |
|---|---|
| Nizam | ₹ 6.3 Cr |
| Ceded | ₹ 3.7 Cr |
| Uttarandhra | ₹ 1.45 Cr |
| Guntur | ₹ 1.68 Cr |
| East Godavari | ₹ 1 Cr |
| West Godavari | ₹ 0.9 Cr |
| Krishna | ₹ 0.94 Cr |
| Nellore | ₹ 0.8 Cr |
| AP/TS | ₹ 16.77 Cr |
| Overseas | ₹ 3.25 Cr |
| Worldwide | ₹ 20.02 Cr |
Khaleja Movie Review: Story
It is the story of a common man who stands against powerful corporate forces. Raju (Mahesh), a simple taxi driver, gets caught up in the mysterious deaths of a scientist and his friend. In a twist of fate, Raju delivers the insurance money to the family of Dilawar Singh (a friend of the scientist) in Rajasthan, who tragically dies on top of Raju’s taxi.
In Rajasthan, Raju again meets Subhasini, whose earlier run-ins had landed him in trouble. Raju was attacked while returning to Andhra Pradesh. After an action-packed fight inspired by John Woo, Raju is rescued by a mysterious man, Siddha (Shafi). When he wakes up, Raju finds himself in a remote village called Pali in North Andhra, sitting on a hidden fortune of valuable iridium. The villagers see him as a “Sami” (divine figure) and hope that he will save them from a mysterious illness that has engulfed their village.
The story, with its many twists and turns, eventually brings Raju face to face with the ruthless GK (brilliantly played by Prakash Raj), culminating in one of Telugu cinema’s most intense climaxes.
Rating: 3.75/5
Khaleja (2010) is an action-comedy film starring Mahesh Babu, Anushka Shetty, and Prakash Raj.
— TEJA✨ (@TEJAPK_) October 15, 2024
Movie Details:
1. Director: Trivikram Srinivas
2. Producer: Singanamala Ramesh
3. Music: Mani Sharma
4. Release Date: October 7, 2010
Storyline:
The film follows Rajasekhar (Mahesh… pic.twitter.com/uUcYN1m7T5
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FAQs: People Also Ask
Released on 7 October 2010, Khaleja received positive reviews from critics and audiences. However, it did not perform well at the box office and was termed as a commercial flop.
Yes, Khaleja is widely appreciated for his strong screenplay, direction, dialogues and Trivikram’s unique story. Many fans still hope to see more such films from Mahesh Babu.
The main reason for Khaleja’s failure was the gap between the expectations of the fans and the unique storytelling style of the film. Fans, who usually watch first and spread word-of-mouth, found it difficult to connect with its layered, philosophical take on divine themes. In the multiplex era, where word-of-mouth can make or break a film, this difference in expectations affects a movie’s success.
