By the numbers
- Films: 37 since 1979; 7 in the last ten years
- Recent films with figures: 7 of 9 since 2014
- Hits: 4 (4 blockbusters), average: 1, flops: 2 – a hit rate of 57%
- Average return: 2.22x budget; best: Bharat Ane Nenu 3.46x; weakest: Brahmotsavam 0.85x
- Biggest hit: Bharat Ane Nenu (2018), ₹225 cr
- Trend: last five films 2.27x on average, the five before 2.09x (up)
- Born: 1975-08-09
- Awards on Wikidata: 6
| Year | Film | Budget | Box office | Return | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Guntur Kaaram | ₹200 cr | ₹172 cr | 0.86x | Flop |
| 2022 | Sarkaru Vaari Paata | – | ₹180 cr | – | No figures |
| 2020 | Sarileru Neekevvaru | ₹75 cr | ₹213 cr | 2.84x | Blockbuster |
| 2019 | Maharshi | ₹60 cr | ₹175 cr | 2.92x | Blockbuster |
| 2018 | Bharat Ane Nenu | ₹65 cr | ₹225 cr | 3.46x | Blockbuster |
| 2017 | Spyder | ₹120 cr | ₹150 cr | 1.25x | Average |
| 2016 | Brahmotsavam | ₹75 cr | ₹64 cr | 0.85x | Flop |
| 2015 | Srimanthudu | ₹60 cr | ₹200 cr | 3.33x | Blockbuster |
| 2014 | Aagadu | ₹65 cr | – | – | No figures |
Mahesh Babu’s filmography is a long game: a debut in 1979, 37 films by 2024 and six awards, with a recent run that swings between blockbuster multiples and big-budget misses. The table above shows the recent record; the numbers point to control, not just stardom.
What the numbers say
Across the seven films in the table above with usable figures, the record shows four blockbusters, one average and two flops, with a hit rate of 57 and an average multiple of 2.22. Total recorded gross is ₹1378.7 crore. That is a solid but not bulletproof return: he can stretch a mid-budget film to a blockbuster multiple, but he can also leave a big-budget project under water.
The hits and the misses
The biggest hit and best multiple is Bharat Ane Nenu (2018): a ₹65 crore budget, ₹225 crore gross and a 3.46 multiple, marked a blockbuster. The weakest return is Brahmotsavam (2016): a ₹75 crore budget, ₹63.7 crore gross and a 0.85 multiple, a flop. Spyder (2017) is the only average verdict in the recorded set, at a ₹120 crore budget, ₹150 crore gross and a 1.25 multiple.
The trend
The recent five films in the table average a 2.27 multiple, against 2.09 for the five before them. That is an improvement, but the path is uneven: the recorded spread runs from Srimanthudu’s 3.33 in 2015 to Guntur Kaaram’s 0.86 in 2024. Aagadu has a ₹65 crore budget but no gross or multiple listed, while Sarkaru Vaari Paata has a ₹180 crore gross but no budget or multiple listed. Wikipedia carries none for either, and the record cannot fairly estimate them.
What it means for the actor’s next film and for the industry
The Rajamouli-Mahesh Babu film is in production at a moment when the actor’s record is bankable but budget-sensitive. The best multiple came from a ₹65 crore film; the worst from a ₹75 crore one, and the most recent flop, Guntur Kaaram, cost ₹200 crore and grossed ₹172 crore for a 0.86 multiple. The next collaboration has less to prove about Mahesh Babu’s drawing power and more to prove about keeping scale in check.
For the industry, a 2.22 average multiple is useful only if producers treat it as a boundary on ambition rather than a licence to inflate budgets. A star who can deliver a 3.46 multiple on a disciplined budget can still fall to a 0.85 or 0.86 multiple when the spend runs ahead of the story. If the Rajamouli project is budgeted with the discipline of Bharat Ane Nenu rather than the scale of Guntur Kaaram, the scorecard points to a stronger chance.
Figures: Mahesh Babu filmography on Wikipedia and each film’s page, read on 26 September 2026.
