Mahesh Babu Filmography: Complete List of Movies, Roles, Budget, Box Office & Upcoming Films (1979 – 2026)
The Mahesh Babu filmography covers more than four decades of Telugu cinema, from a child role in 1979 to the most expensive project of his career, SS Rajamouli’s Varanasi. Mahesh Babu (born Ghattamaneni Mahesh Babu on 9 August 1975 in Chennai) is an Indian actor and producer, and in this complete Mahesh Babu filmography you will find his lead movies with year, role, budget and box office. He began as a child artist and made his lead debut in Rajakumarudu (1999). He became a major star through Okkadu (2003), Pokiri (2006) and Dookudu (2011), and later through Srimanthudu (2015), Bharat Ane Nenu (2018) and Sarileru Neekevvaru (2020). His latest release is Guntur Kaaram (2024), and his next film is Varanasi, releasing on 7 April 2027.
Mahesh Babu Quick Profile
| Detail | Information |
| Name | Ghattamaneni Mahesh Babu |
| Born | 9 August 1975, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Profession | Actor, producer |
| Parents | Krishna (actor) and Indira Devi |
| Child Debut | Needa (1979) |
| Lead Debut | Rajakumarudu (1999) |
| Breakthrough | Okkadu (2003) |
| Biggest Hit | Sarileru Neekevvaru (2020), about ₹260 Cr worldwide gross |
| Known For | Ajay (Dookudu), Bharat (Bharat Ane Nenu), Mahi (Sarkaru Vaari Paata), Rowdy Ramana (Guntur Kaaram) |
Mahesh Babu Movies List (1999–2006): The Early Years
| Year | Film | Role | Budget | Box Office |
| 1999 | Rajakumarudu | Lead role | ₹4 Cr | Hit |
| 2000 | Vamsi | Lead role | ₹5 Cr | Flop |
| 2000 | Yuvaraju | Lead role | ₹2.5 Cr | Average |
| 2001 | Murari | Lead role | ₹5 Cr | Super Hit |
| 2002 | Bobby | Lead role | ₹6 Cr | Utter Flop |
| 2002 | Takkari Donga | Outlaw | ₹8 Cr | Flop |
| 2003 | Okkadu | Lead role | ₹8 Cr | Blockbuster |
| 2003 | Nijam | Lead role | ₹6 Cr | Flop |
| 2004 | Arjun | Lead role | ₹10 Cr | Flop |
| 2004 | Naani | Lead role | ₹7 Cr | Disaster |
| 2005 | Athadu | Lead role | ₹12 Cr | Blockbuster |
| 2006 | Sainikudu | Lead role | ₹15 Cr | Disaster (about ₹20 Cr worldwide gross) |
| 2006 | Pokiri | Lead role | ₹12 Cr | Industry Hit (about ₹63.9 Cr worldwide gross) |
Mahesh Babu Movies List (2007–2014): Blockbusters and Setbacks
| Year | Film | Role | Budget | Box Office |
| 2007 | Athidhi | Lead role | ₹20 Cr | Flop |
| 2010 | Khaleja | Lead role | ₹35 Cr | Flop |
| 2011 | Dookudu | Ajay (undercover cop) | ₹38 Cr | Blockbuster (about ₹95.5 Cr worldwide gross) |
| 2012 | Businessman | Lead role | ₹40 Cr | Super Hit |
| 2013 | Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu | Lead role | ₹40 Cr | Super Hit (about ₹90 Cr+ worldwide gross) |
| 2014 | Nenokkadine | Lead role | ₹60 Cr | Flop |
| 2014 | Aagadu | CI Lead role | ₹55 Cr | Flop |
Mahesh Babu Movies List (2015–2019): The Peak Years
| Year | Film | Role | Budget | Box Office |
| 2015 | Srimanthudu | Lead role | ₹60 Cr | Blockbuster (about ₹145 Cr worldwide gross) |
| 2016 | Brahmotsavam | Ajay / Babu | ₹75 Cr | Flop (about ₹63.7 Cr gross) |
| 2017 | Spyder | Lead role | ₹120 Cr | Disaster |
| 2018 | Bharat Ane Nenu | Bharat | ₹75 Cr | Hit (about ₹172 Cr worldwide gross) |
| 2019 | Maharshi | Rishi | ₹90 Cr | Super Hit (about ₹178 Cr worldwide gross) |
Mahesh Babu Movies List (2020–2027): Recent Films and Upcoming Project
| Year | Film | Role | Budget | Box Office |
| 2020 | Sarileru Neekevvaru | Ajay Krishna | ₹75 Cr | Blockbuster (about ₹260 Cr worldwide gross) |
| 2022 | Sarkaru Vaari Paata | Mahesh “Mahi” | ₹130 Cr | Average (about ₹184 Cr worldwide gross) |
| 2024 | Guntur Kaaram | Rowdy Ramana | ₹200 Cr | Flop (about ₹172–212 Cr worldwide gross) |
| 2027 | Varanasi | Rudhra (reported dual role) | ₹1,400 Cr | Upcoming, releasing 7 April 2027 |
Mahesh Babu Movies Verdict at a Glance
| Film | Verdict |
| Rajakumarudu (1999) | Hit |
| Vamsi (2000) | Flop |
| Yuvaraju (2000) | Average |
| Murari (2001) | Super Hit |
| Bobby (2002) | Utter Flop |
| Takkari Donga (2002) | Flop |
| Okkadu (2003) | Blockbuster |
| Nijam (2003) | Flop |
| Arjun (2004) | Flop |
| Naani (2004) | Disaster |
| Athadu (2005) | Blockbuster |
| Sainikudu (2006) | Disaster |
| Pokiri (2006) | Industry Hit |
| Athidhi (2007) | Flop |
| Khaleja (2010) | Flop |
| Dookudu (2011) | Blockbuster |
| Businessman (2012) | Super Hit |
| Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu (2013) | Super Hit |
| Nenokkadine (2014) | Flop |
| Aagadu (2014) | Disaster |
| Srimanthudu (2015) | Blockbuster |
| Brahmotsavam (2016) | Flop |
| Spyder (2017) | Disaster |
| Bharat Ane Nenu (2018) | Hit |
| Maharshi (2019) | Super Hit |
| Sarileru Neekevvaru (2020) | Blockbuster |
| Sarkaru Vaari Paata (2022) | Average |
| Guntur Kaaram (2024) | Flop |
Mahesh Babu Directors at a Glance
| Director | Films with Mahesh Babu |
| Puri Jagannadh | Pokiri (2006), Businessman (2012) |
| Sukumar | Nenokkadine (2014) |
| Koratala Siva | Srimanthudu (2015), Bharat Ane Nenu (2018) |
| Sreenu Vaitla | Dookudu (2011), Aagadu (2014) |
| Gunasekhar | Okkadu (2003), Sainikudu (2006) |
| Trivikram Srinivas | Athadu (2005), Khaleja (2010), Guntur Kaaram (2024) |
| Vamshi Paidipally | Maharshi (2019) |
| Anil Ravipudi | Sarileru Neekevvaru (2020) |
| Parasuram | Sarkaru Vaari Paata (2022) |
| SS Rajamouli | Varanasi (2027) |
Mahesh Babu Top Grossing Films
| Rank | Film | Worldwide Gross |
| 1 | Sarileru Neekevvaru (2020) | ₹260 Cr |
| 2 | Srimanthudu (2015) | ₹145 Cr |
| 3 | Maharshi (2019) | ₹178 Cr |
| 4 | Sarkaru Vaari Paata (2022) | ₹184 Cr |
| 5 | Bharat Ane Nenu (2018) | ₹172 Cr |
| 6 | Dookudu (2011) | ₹95.5 Cr |
| 7 | Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu (2013) | ₹90 Cr+ |
| 8 | Brahmotsavam (2016) | ₹63.7 Cr |
Mahesh Babu Latest Box Office Performance (2024)
| Film | Release Date | Performance |
| Guntur Kaaram | 12 January 2024 | Flop against a reported ₹200 Cr budget; about ₹172–212 Cr worldwide gross |
Guntur Kaaram, directed by Trivikram Srinivas, co-starred Sreeleela and Meenakshi Chaudhary. It was his last release, and his big return now rests on Varanasi.
Mahesh Babu Upcoming Movies
| Film | Status |
| Varanasi | Releasing 7 April 2027. Directed by SS Rajamouli, produced by Sri Durga Arts, co-starring Priyanka Chopra and Prithviraj Sukumaran. Reported budget ₹1,400 Cr by industry reports |
Release dates for upcoming films may change.
From Child Artist to Pan-India Star: The Story Behind Mahesh Babu’s Filmography
The Mahesh Babu filmography began in the shadow of his father, the veteran actor Krishna, with Needa (1979) as a child artist. His lead debut, Rajakumarudu (1999), was a hit, but his first major breakthrough came with Okkadu (2003), a kabaddi-set action film directed by Gunasekhar that became a blockbuster. Athadu (2005) and Pokiri (2006), directed by Puri Jagannadh, cemented his place as a mass hero.
Srimanthudu (2015) and Bharat Ane Nenu (2018) gave him a run of big successes, and Maharshi (2019) and Sarileru Neekevvaru (2020) pushed his box office to new highs. Sarkaru Vaari Paata (2022) was average, and Guntur Kaaram (2024) was a flop. With SS Rajamouli’s Varanasi set for April 2027, the Mahesh Babu filmography is entering its most ambitious phase, and this page will be updated with every new release, budget and box office figure.
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Mahesh Babu Filmography FAQs
Needa (1979), as a child artist.
Okkadu (2003), directed by Gunasekhar.
Sarileru Neekevvaru (2020), with about ₹260 Cr worldwide gross.
Guntur Kaaram, released on 12 January 2024.
Varanasi, directed by SS Rajamouli, releasing on 7 April 2027.
Sarileru Neekevvaru (2020), a blockbuster with about ₹260 Cr worldwide gross.