Venkatesh Maha
Biography
Venkatesh Maha is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and actor who works predominantly in Telugu cinema. Born in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, he entered the film industry at a young age, working various off-screen jobs including as a spot boy before transitioning into acting and filmmaking.
He made an impactful directorial debut with the critically acclaimed indie drama *C/o Kancharapalem* (2018), which was shot entirely on location in Visakhapatnam using a cast of non-professional local actors. The film earned widespread praise for its authentic, hyper-local storytelling and multi-generational narrative, premiering at the New York Indian Film Festival and earning him nominations for Best Director at the Filmfare Awards South and SIIMA. He followed it with *Uma Maheswara Ugra Roopasya* (2020), an acclaimed slice-of-life comedy-drama starring Satyadev, and directed an episode for the Amazon Prime Video anthology series *Modern Love Hyderabad* (2022). He later reunited with Satyadev to write, direct, and edit the psychological dark comedy drama *Rao Bahadur* (2026).
In addition to directing, Maha has worked actively as a screenwriter, producer, and actor. He adapted and wrote the screenplay for the political satire *Martin Luther King* (2023), in which he also played a key supporting role, and co-produced the drama *Ambajipeta Marriage Band* (2024). His notable acting appearances include roles in *Ante Sundaraniki* (2022), *Stand Up Rahul* (2022), and *Anger Tales* (2023).
He made an impactful directorial debut with the critically acclaimed indie drama *C/o Kancharapalem* (2018), which was shot entirely on location in Visakhapatnam using a cast of non-professional local actors. The film earned widespread praise for its authentic, hyper-local storytelling and multi-generational narrative, premiering at the New York Indian Film Festival and earning him nominations for Best Director at the Filmfare Awards South and SIIMA. He followed it with *Uma Maheswara Ugra Roopasya* (2020), an acclaimed slice-of-life comedy-drama starring Satyadev, and directed an episode for the Amazon Prime Video anthology series *Modern Love Hyderabad* (2022). He later reunited with Satyadev to write, direct, and edit the psychological dark comedy drama *Rao Bahadur* (2026).
In addition to directing, Maha has worked actively as a screenwriter, producer, and actor. He adapted and wrote the screenplay for the political satire *Martin Luther King* (2023), in which he also played a key supporting role, and co-produced the drama *Ambajipeta Marriage Band* (2024). His notable acting appearances include roles in *Ante Sundaraniki* (2022), *Stand Up Rahul* (2022), and *Anger Tales* (2023).
Photos
