Venkatesh Maha is an Indian film director, screenwriter and actor who works in Telugu cinema. He's known for directing films including C/o Kancharapalem (2018) and Uma Maheswara Ugra Roopasya (2020).
Career Maha left his house at the age of sixteen and worked various jobs. He worked as a spot boy for the film Teen Maar (2011) before he made his acting debut with Aakasame Haddu that same year. He made his directorial debut with the film C/o Kancharapalem (2018) which was shot in the suburb of the same name. The cast of the film comprised entirely of newcomers. Regarding his work on the film, one critic noted, "Full marks to Venkatesh for not only coming up with a different kind of film but successfully carrying off the experiment of roping in locals for a film which is about themselves" whilst another stated, "If the director Venkatesh Maha is the brain behind this idea, he deserves credit yes".
His next film was Uma Maheswara Ugra Roopasya (2020), a remake of the Malayalam film Maheshinte Prathikaaram. The film features Satyadev in the lead role and was shot extensively in the Araku valley. Regarding the cast of the film, a critic opined, "And a big shout to Venkatesh Maha’s casting choices, which makes the movie more relatable". In August 2021, Maha started Write Right Club for creative writers along with Puja Kolluru and other team members.
He collaborated with Satyadev again in the psychological drama film Rao Bahadur, which released in July 2026. Presented by Mahesh Babu and Namrata Shirodkar, it was jointly produced by Anurag Reddy, Sharath Chandra, Chinta Gopalakrishna Reddy, and Eshwaran Vijayaraghavan.
Filmography All films are in Telugu unless otherwise noted.
+ Film and television Year TitleDirectorWriterProducer Notes 2018 C/o Kancharapalem 2020 Uma Maheswara Ugra Roopasya 2022 Swarna Short filmModern Love Hyderabad Amazon Prime Video series; episode 6 2023 Martin Luther King Also actor 2024 Ambajipeta Marriage Band Co-producer 2026 Rao Bahadur
+ Acting roles Year Title Role Notes 2011 Aakasame Haddu Narayana's friend 2012Cameraman Gangatho RambabuNews audience member2014Manam2018MahanatiAssistant Director Shaukar2020 Uma Maheswara Ugra Roopasya Tea vendor Cameo appearance 2022Stand Up RahulHridayExtended cameo2022 Ante Sundaraniki Joseph 2023 Anger Tales Ranga Disney+ Hotstar series Ustaad Surya's father Cameo Martin Luther King Loki 2025 Mirai Vikram 2026 Rao Bahadur Protagonist's ancestor
Awards and nominations Year AwardCategoryWorkResult 2019 Filmfare Awards South Best Director – Telugu C/o Kancharapalem 2021 South Indian International Movie Awards Best Director – Telugu Uma Maheswara Ugra Roopasya 2025 Telangana Gaddar Film Awards Third Best Feature FilmC/o Kancharapalem
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External links
Director Venkatesh Maha abuses Yash's KGF character Rocky; angry fans demand apology KGF Chapter 2 & Yash’s ‘Rocky Bhai’ character abused by Telugu director, here’re the details