In the past, only big-star, film-family actors had the power to pull massive budgets. Producers would spend hundreds of crores on tier-one heroes, confident their name alone would bring in returns. But now, a new wave of self-made Telugu actors—not from film families—the non-nepo Telugu star heroes are proving their box office strength and demanding equal scale.
Actors like Nani, Nikhil Siddhartha, Teja Sajja, Sai Dharam Tej, Siddhu Jonnalagadda, and Vishwak Sen have slowly built solid fan bases. Through consistent performances and mass appeal, they’ve shown that success doesn’t need a legacy surname. As a result, producers are now betting big on them too.
For example, Nani’s upcoming film The Paradise, directed by Srikanth Odela, is being made on a massive ₹120 crore budget—far beyond what was once expected for a non-nepo actor. Nikhil has two major projects on the floor: Swayambhu and The Indiana House, which together are expected to cost around ₹140 crores.
Teja Sajja’s ambitious sci-fi project Mirai is said to be made with ₹80 crores. Meanwhile, Sai Dharam Tej’s Sambarala Etigattu has crossed the ₹100 crore mark, with a budget of around ₹105 crores. Even Siddhu Jonnalagadda and Vishwak Sen are now seeing their films getting budgets once reserved only for big-name legacy stars.
This shift shows a new confidence in content-driven cinema and talent-backed stars. The industry is no longer just about last names—it’s about audience trust, versatility, and genuine box office pull. These non-nepo heroes are rewriting the rules and raising the bar.