Teja (director)

Teja (born Jasti Dharma Teja; 22 February 1966) is an Indian director, cinematographer, screenwriter, and producer known for his work primarily in Telugu cinema. He is a recipient of a Nandi Award for Best Director and a Filmfare Award for Best Director – Telugu. He began his career as a cinematographer with Ram Gopal Varma's bilingual film Raat (1992). He went on to work on over ten films in Hindi and Telugu, including Money (1993), Tere Mere Sapne (1996), Ghulam (1998), Sangharsh (1999), and Krodh (2000). Teja transitioned to direction and initially gained recognition for making low-budget romantic dramas that became highly successful. He made his directorial debut with Chitram (2000), followed by Nuvvu Nenu (2001) and Jayam (2002), which earned him further acclaim. His other notable films include Avunanna Kaadanna (2005) and Nene Raju Nene Mantri (2017).