**Top courtroom drama movies to watch in 2025: Priyadarshi’s must-watch legal thriller** on ‘Court’: Balancing Cinema, Life, and Meaningful Roles
It is a hot morning in Hyderabad, and a film production house in Jubilee Hills is bustling with activity. The walls are adorned with posters of director Ram Jagadish’s new film “Court”, which stars Priyadarshi Pulikonda in the lead role. Priyadarshi, who began his career with a comic role in “Pelli Choopulu” (2016), has gradually branched out into different genres of cinema. From films like “Mallesham” and “Balagam” to the upcoming “Sarangapani Jathakam”, he has played every character with aplomb.
“It was always my wish to play different kinds of roles,” says Priyadarshi. He thanks the changing times of Telugu cinema and the writers who put their faith in him and gave him challenging roles.
He recalls that when he was approached for “Yuddham Sharanam” in 2017, director Krishna Marimuthu clearly said there was no room for comedy in the film. Until then, the role of the hero’s friend in films was usually light-hearted and funny, but Priyadarshi happily accepted the challenge.
Many well-wishers advised him to limit himself to comedy, but Priyadarshi knew that cinema was changing. In “Terror”, director Sathish Kasetty did not see him as just a comedian, and then Raj offered him “Mallesham”. He saw that new writers and directors like Tharun Bhaskar, Vivek Athreya and Prashanth Varma were telling stories on their own and were getting support from producers too.
Priyadarshi also tried his hand at web series and unconventional films, such as “Loser” and “Male”. “These projects gave me the opportunity to do more interesting work,” he says. “After Mallesham, I couldn’t sit around for four years waiting for a big film.”
### Mainstream recognition
Films with big stars also gave Priyadarshi a new identity. Films like “Jai Lava Kusa”, “MCA” and “Vunnadhi Okate Zindagi” brought him to the mainstream audience. “Working in big budget films boosted my confidence, which enabled me to work even more strongly in films like ‘Balagam’.”
Speaking of “Court”, Priyadarshi says that director Ram Jagadish’s vision impressed him. “Anyone can learn to make films, but the real question is what you want to say through your cinema. Ram is from Visakhapatnam, his father was a tailor, and he has a different way of looking at the world. He first offered a romantic film, but I was not interested. Then he told me the story of a friend who was falsely accused. I suggested researching the subject and if it had any substance, we should go ahead. He did deep research like a journalist and came back with a solid story. Since the film was related to the POCSO Act, we had to investigate every detail.”
Priyadarshi loves travelling alone and backpacking. Last year he went trekking in Manali. He says that reading books and meeting new people gives him a new perspective by keeping him away from the world of cinema. “My inspiration comes from real life. I would not have been able to portray my character in ‘Court’ the way I did if it weren’t for my friend Jayakrishna. My friends are in different professions—some are IT professionals who repair cars at night, some crack codes and work on cyber security. My character in ’35’ is dedicated to the teachers I hated in school,” he says with a smile.
For “Court”, he went to the Telangana High Court and observed lawyers closely. “We learnt everything from the correct way to wear a gown to the language to address a judge. High Court registrar Chandrasekhar even gave us law books so that we could portray every aspect correctly.”
### The nuances of acting
This year, Priyadarshi is also playing the lead role in “Sarangapani Jathakam”. Director Mohanakrishna Indraganti says Priyadarshi’s acting shines better on the editing table and not on camera. Priyadarshi thanks his mentors, N.J. Bhikshu and Aruna credit Bhikshu for teaching them the difference between theatre and film acting.
Priyadarshi’s journey shows that if an artist channels his talent in the right direction, he does not limit himself to one genre but constantly explores new avenues.
