71st National Film Awards 2025: Nandamuri Balakrishna's Bhagavanth Kesari wins Best Telugu Film for 2023. Where to stream this movie?

71st National Film Awards 2025: Telugu cinema scored big at the 71st National Film Awards with Bhagavanth Kesari winning the prestigious Best Telugu Film title for 2023. Starring Nandamuri Balakrishna in a powerful lead role, the film is a gripping action drama that not only impressed audiences but also won over critics with its emotional core and high-octane storytelling. Released on October 19, 2023, during Dussehra, the film has since become a celebrated milestone in Balakrishna’s career and Telugu cinema at large.

Bhagavanth Kesari is directed and written by Anil Ravipudi and produced by Sahu Garapati and Harish Peddi under the Shine Screens banner. Alongside Balakrishna, the film features Kajal Aggarwal, Sreeleela, and Arjun Rampal, who made his Telugu debut with this project. The soundtrack and background score were composed by Thaman S, while cinematography and editing were handled by C. Ramprasad and Tammiraju, respectively.

Plot of Bhagavanth Kesari

Bhagavanth Kesari follows the story of Nelakonda Bhagavanth Kesari, an ex-cop and ex-prisoner who takes charge of raising Vijayalakshmi “Viji” after her father’s untimely death. Determined to honor his friend’s wish, he encourages Viji to join the Indian Army. However, Viji, haunted by a childhood trauma, resists the idea and is more focused on her relationship with her boyfriend, Karthik.


Meanwhile, a powerful businessman, Rahul Sanghvi, is on a deadly hunt for a missing piece of evidence that threatens to expose him. By chance, that evidence ends up on Viji’s laptop, putting her directly in danger. As Bhagavanth protects her, secrets from his past begin to surface, revealing a deep and violent history with Rahul’s family.

With the help of psychologist Dr. Kathyayani and a loyal ally from his time in prison, Bhagavanth helps Viji find the courage to face her fears—setting the stage for a fierce battle ahead.

Where to stream Nandamuri Balakrishna’s Bhagavanth Kesari?

In addition to the National Film Award, Bhagavanth Kesari also received the Gaddar Award for Third Best Feature Film in the state. The film is now available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video in Telugu as well as dubbed versions in Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi.