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Sukumar

Sukumar

Writer, director and producer, also actor · Born January 11, 1970 (56) · Mattaparru, Andhra Pradesh, India

Sukumar is an Indian film director, producer, and screenwriter who predominantly works in Telugu cinema. Sukumar worked as a mathematics and physics lecturer for nearly six years before pursuing a career in cinema. He started his career as a writer and assisted Mohan and V. V. Vinayak. Sukumar made his directorial debut with Aarya (2004). The massive critical and commercial triumph of the film marked the beginning of a very successful collaborative streak with actor Allu Arjun and composer Devi Sri Prasad. Sukumar won the Filmfare and Nandi Awards for his work in Aarya. His other notable films include Aarya 2 (2009), 100% Love (2011), 1: Nenokkadine (2014), Rangasthalam (2018) and the Pushpa film series. Sukumar is known for his complex, multi-layered screenplays which earned him the reputation of being an intelligent screenwriter. He is also known for infusing grey shades and physical handicaps in the character sketches of the protagonists in his films. Under the banner Sukumar Writings, he made his debut as a film producer with Kumari 21F (2015). In 2014, he received the K. V. Reddy Memorial award for his contributions to Telugu cinema.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 11, 1970 (56)
From
Mattaparru, Andhra Pradesh, India
Works as
Writer, director and producer, also actor
Titles
8 on MovieCove · 28 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 10% in 30 days

What are Sukumar's films like?

Across their 8 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Action6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 94th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Romance2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile
: browse their Romance movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
41%
Morality
31%
Power
11%
Self
10%
Survival
4%
Society
4%
Romantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 8 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 3 · Serious 1 · Dark 4

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 1 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 2 · Charged 1 · Intense 5

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 3 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 3

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 3 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 3

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 6 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
5
Romantic
3
Thrilling
2
Dread
2
Hopeful
2
Other
8

How their films linger

Bittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet4
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Sukumar's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 7 of their 8 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (4).

Subscription and free streaming for Sukumar's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

28 credits, 8 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Vrushakarma (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Screenplay

  • Idupu kaayitham (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Presenter

  • Pushpa: The Rule - Part 2(2024)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Virupaksha(2023)

    Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • 18 Pages(2022)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Aadavaallu Meeku Johaarlu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • Pushpa: The Rise - Part 1(2021)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Uppena(2021)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • 100% Kaadhal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Original Story

  • Rangasthalam(2018)

    Director · Dialogue · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Kumari 21F (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Original Story

  • Prem Ki Bujhini (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Original Story

  • Nannaku Prematho... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Director · Writer

  • Kumari 21F (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Producer · Writer

  • I Am That Change (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director · Story

  • Aami Shudhu Cheyechhi Tomay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Original Story

  • 1: Nenokkadine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director · Story

  • Key (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Actor

  • 100% Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director · Story

  • Kutty(2010)

    Original Story

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Aarya 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director · Story

  • Pagal Premi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Original Story

  • Pagala Premi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Original Story

  • Jagadam (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director · Writer

  • Badha (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Original Story

  • Arya(2004)

    Director · Dialogue · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Pushpa 3 - The Rampage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Writer

  • Untitled Ram Charan - Sukumar Movie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Writer

Career shape

A full career of 28 titles, 24 of them dated from 2004 to 2024.

Biggest box office

Pushpa: The Rule - Part 2 (2024)

$175M worldwide

Highest rated

Rangasthalam (2018)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

Pushpa: The Rule - Part 2 (2024)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting2 of 28: 2 only acting, 0 with another roleDirecting12 of 28: 0 only directing, 12 with another roleWriting24 of 28: 10 only writing, 14 with another role · typical Midcredits score82ndProducing3 of 28: 1 only producing, 2 with another roleOther crew1 of 28: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

28 titles, 14 with more than one role — writing and directing overlap on 12 of them.

By decade

2000s6 · crew2010s12 · 1 acting · 11 crew2020s6 · 1 acting · 5 crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Sukumar's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 79th percentile, the median of all 8; across their 8 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 79th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

79thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Approval · how many liked their films

92ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Reach · how many have seen their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Midcredits score across 8 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th1

Shape of the crowd

4 of their 8 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Loved with Detractors1
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · director, writer, producer

Pushpa: The Rule - Part 2 (2024)

92nd percentile spread · 22% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, writer

Rangasthalam (2018)

Midcredits 98th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 59/100 and the plot and story 48/100 in their films, across 8 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Sukumar's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles51–85 · median 68 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles12–40 · median 29 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 36 · moderateMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 44 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 59 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Sukumar work with?

People who share at least 2 of Sukumar's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Devi Sri Prasad shares the most, 5.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers