NVNV - Prabhu Deva

For a man who cut his teeth in cinema as a dance man, Prabhu Deva indeed has come a long way. In NVNV, he showed new facets to his personality. He brought to his art and craft a rare style and incorporated new idioms into it. Surely the man to watch in 2006.

Atanokkade - Surender

His Atanokkade was a revelation. He showed us that he is capable of coming with a taut script and mount it brilliantly. The action scenes were out mind boggling.

Chatrapathi - S S Chandramouli 

In Chatrapathi, he gave a glimpse of his true ability. He can tell a commercial tale with compelling intensity.

Anukokunda Oka Roju - Chandrasekhar Yeleti

Clinches are not in his book. He abhors run of the mill stuff. Anukokunda Oka Roju was as good an example as you can get. He showed that Aithey was no flash in the pan.

Krishna Vamsi - Danger

Vamsi had a bad year commercially. His Chakram (a pale imitation of Kal Ho Na Ho) and Danger were damp squibs at the box office. But you have to hand it over to the man for trying a radically new film through Danger --- no songs and no mass masala ingredients. He offered hope that all is still not lost in Tollywood.

The directors of films like Naa Oopiri, Mogudu Pellam O Dongadu, Vennela also deserve special mention for their desire to be different.