The Telangana Gaddar Film Awards (TGFA), also referred to as Gaddar Telangana Film Awards, are annual film awards instituted in 2025 by the Government of Telangana to honour excellence in Telugu cinema. The awards are named after the Telugu poet and balladeer Gaddar. They are presented through the Telangana Film Development Corporation (TFDC) and recognize excellence in Telugu cinema in the years following the formation of the state of Telangana state in 2014. These awards replace Nandi Awards presented by the erstwhile Government of Andhra Pradesh.
The awardees are decided by an independent jury formed by the Telangana Film Development Corporation . The jury usually consists of eminent personalities from the film field. The jury annually invites films for the award and the jury analyses the films that are submitted before deciding the winners. The award has attracted criticism on its launch, including the naming of the award, the manner of selection of the winners by jury members, and conferring awards to propaganda films.
History and background
Hyderabad, Telangana is the home to Telugu cinema.[1] It was earlier part of the state of Andhra Pradesh which presented Nandi Awards. However, following the bifurcation of the state of Andhra Pradesh in 2014, the newly formed state of Telangana did have its own state film awards.[2][3]
Efforts to revive the awards date back to 2017. Government of Telangana, led by then Chief MinisterK. Chandrashekar Rao of Telangana Rashtra Samithi, did not want to retain the erstwhile Nandi Awards, and mulled to present a new award. Deviating from the previous tradition of presenting the award on the festival of Ugadi, it was to be awarded on the festival of Dasara. The then cinematography minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav announced that the names such as Nemali, Simham, Kakatiya Kala Toranam and Palapitta are being considered for the annual film awards.[2][4] However, the plans of instituting award did not materialize.[3]
On 31 January 2024, addressing a meeting to celebrate the birth anniversary of balladeer Gaddar, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy of Indian National Congress formally announced the new Telangana State film awards.[5] The awards, which would replace Nandi Awards,[6] are named in tribute to the revolutionary Telugu poet and balladeer Gaddar, celebrating regional cultural identity and artistic contributions.[7] In March 2024, a committee was formed with B. Narsing Rao as Chairman, and Dil Raju as Vice-chairman to frame guidelines for the awards.[8]
Dil Raju, chairman of Telangana Film Development Corporation (TFDC), announced the awards will be given for films released in 2024 and also retrospectively recognise the best films from 2014 to 2023, to make up for the absence of Government-backed film awards since Telangana's formation.[9] On 13 March 2025, entries of films for the inaugural ceremony of Telangana Gaddar Film Awards were invited in various categories for films, including individual artists and technicians for the year 2024.[10]
Trophy
The Telangana Gaddar Film Awards memento features a golden hand clutching a traditional dappu, wrapped with a film reel. The award designer, Ramavath Nayak, explained that "The hand signifies the people’s power to shape their lives and the dappu represents the beat of revolution, of collective justice. And the film reel ties it all to the power of storytelling through cinema."[11]
Juries and rules
Every year, Telangana Film Development Corporation (TGFDC) invites entries for Telugu-language films censored and certified by Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) between January 1 to December 31 of the year previous to the one in which the awards to be announced.[12][13]
All films in Telugu Language produced around the globe including films produced by any Government agencies under all the categories will be eligible for awards.[12]
A separate jury is constituted by the Government of Telangana with Chairman and Managing Director of Telangana Film Development Corporation Limited as the Member – Convener of the Committee for selection of awards.[12] The jury for the inaugural TGFA was chaired by veteran actress Jayasudha.[9]
Categories
Awards are given across 35 categories, honouring the excellence in Telugu cinema and Telugu theatre.[14][15] The awards cover a wide spectrum: feature films, technical categories (direction, acting, cinematography, etc.), special categories (such as best children’s film, best film on heritage or environment), and honorary lifetime achievement awards.[16][17]Urdu language films are also included for the first time in the Feature Film category.[18] Awards are presented in the following categories:[12][13]
Special Awards
These awards are presented by Government of Telangana, based on the recommendations of the jury. Special awards carry a cash prize of ₹10.00 lakh, memento, and citation.
NTR National Award for an eminent Film Artist for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of the Indian cinema
Paidi Jairaj Film Award for an eminent Film Personality (other than Film Artist) for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of the Indian Cinema
BN Reddy Film Award for an eminent Film Director for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of the Telugu Cinema
Nagireddy and Chakrapani Film Award for an eminent Film Producer for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of the Telugu Cinema
Kantha Rao Film Award for an eminent Telugu Film Artist for his outstanding contribution to Telugu cinema
Raghupathi Venkaiah Film Award for an eminent film personality (other than artist) for his outstanding contribution to Telugu cinema
C. Narayana Reddy Award for an eminent Poet, writer for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Telugu cinema
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party criticized naming the Awards after Gaddar, who was a former maoist ideologue. "It sets a bad precedent. How is Gaddar, who followed a path of violence against elected governments, related to the film industry and its artistes? Why will actors and technicians be proud to hold on to an award that is named after such a person,” said BJP spokesperson Krishna Sagar Rao. However, the Congress Party defended, saying, "Gaddar is a cultural icon. Telangana’s history is richer by his name and his contribution."[20]
The Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) has chosen to hold its own film awards in opposition to the State government's Gaddar Film Awards. Criticism was also made towards naming the awards after Gaddar, “It was not right to change the name of Nandi Awards to Gaddar Awards. Whether one likes it or not, Gaddar promoted Naxalism and fought against the State. There could have been one award in his name. Nandi was an ideal name without any controversy," a Telugu film producer stated.[21]
Arunank Latha and Ashok Danavath of NewsClick have questioned whether the award really honours Gaddar. "Using Gaddar’s name for political or commercial gain, without addressing the very injustices he fought against, amounts not to honour but to appropriation. To invoke his name without embodying his values is, ultimately, an act of disrespect," they added. They stated that it was ironic that the same Nandi Awards he once rejected have now been renamed after him.[22] Lack of Gaddar's portrait during the inaugural event, while showcasing the portraits of Chief Minister and others, was also criticized.[23]
It was reported that the winners in 2025 were said to be chosen based on "whims and fancies," with jury members only partially watching a few films that were nominated for the award.[24] Others have pointed out the lack of members from Telangana in the jury as the majority of the 2025 jury members were from Andhra Pradesh.[25]
Awarding the film Razakar: The Silent Genocide of Hyderabad (2024) in Best Feature Film in History category on its inaugural ceremony also drew criticism as the film was widely seen as a "vehicle for right-wing propaganda."[26] In June 2025, a group of social activists have written a formal letter to the Telangana Government to withdraw the award presented to the film which they argued as "highly polarising" and "propaganda-driven."[27]
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