Writer and director · Telugu cinema
Vakkantham Vamsi
Vakkantham Vamsi movies: 12 Telugu films on file (12 as writer, 2 as director), 2002–2023. Earliest on file: Kalusukovalani (2002). Latest release: Extra Ordinary Man (8 December 2023).
- Films on file
- 12 (12 as writer, 2 as director)
- Years on file
- 2002–2023
- Selected films on file
- Yevadu, Naa Peru Surya, Race Gurram
- Record
- Q7909020 on Wikidata
Vakkantham Vamsi is an Indian screenwriter and director in Telugu cinema. He wrote the stories of hits such as Kick (2009), Yevadu (2014), Race Gurram (2014) and Temper (2015). He made his debut as director with Naa Peru Surya Naa Illu India (2018).
Early life
Vamsi was born in Arikela village, near Punganur in Chittoor district, and graduated from Sri Venkateswara University. He continued the writing legacy of his father, Vakkantham Suryanarayana Rao, and was noticed for his diction and acting at school.
Television and acting
He began as a news presenter and television anchor. He also played Suka Muni in Bapu–Ramana’s ETV serial Bhagavatham. He made his film acting debut in Kalyana Prapthirasthu, directed by Dasari Narayana Rao.
Writer for Surender Reddy
After Kick, he became one of Telugu cinema’s most popular writers. All of Surender Reddy‘s films except Athanokkade are based on his stories, including Race Gurram and Kick 2 (2015).
Other screenplays
He wrote the story for Yevadu, which Vamsi Paidipally co-wrote and directed, partly inspired by Face/Off. For Temper, N. T. Rama Rao Jr. asked Puri Jagannadh to hear an idea Vamsi had pitched to him years earlier. Jagannadh chose it over his own story. In 2016 Vamsi was announced to direct NTR Jr.’s 27th film, but the project was shelved after the actor was not satisfied with the script.
Director
Vamsi made his directing debut with Naa Peru Surya Naa Illu India (2018), starring Allu Arjun as a soldier struggling with his anger. It opened on 4 May 2018 to mixed reviews that praised the performances but faulted the script and pace. R. Sarathkumar won the SIIMA Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role for it.
Career on file
Vakkantham Vamsi has 12 Telugu films on file at Tollywood Desk, dated from 2002 to 2023: 12 films as writer and two films as director. The earliest of them is Kalusukovalani (2002), and the most recent release is Extra Ordinary Man (2023). Measured by how many Wikipedia language editions cover them, the best-known titles here are Yevadu (2014), Naa Peru Surya (2018) and Race Gurram (2014). Other recent releases on file are Agent (2023), Aaradugula Bullet (2021) and Touch Chesi Chudu (2018).
Music on four of them is by Mani Sharma, with Devi Sri Prasad (2) and S. Thaman (2) next. Across these films the credits on file name 7 different directors, 7 music directors and 46 other credited actors.
Runtime is on file for 10 of them; they average 154 minutes, and the longest is Athidhi at 179 minutes. Four of them have a streaming (OTT) release noted on the site. By decade the list splits into 2000s (3), 2010s (6) and 2020s (3).
Figures come from the films on file at Tollywood Desk and change as records are added.