Eega

Eega
Theatrical release poster in Telugu
Directed byS. S. Rajamouli
Written byS. S. Rajamouli
Dialogues by
Concept by
Produced bySai Korrapati
Starring
CinematographyK. K. Senthil Kumar
Edited byKotagiri Venkateswara Rao
Music byM. M. Keeravani
Production
company
Distributed by
Release date
  • 6 July 2012 (2012-07-06)
Running time
134 minutes
CountryIndia
Languages
  • Telugu
  • Tamil
Budget26–40 crore
Box officeest.125–130 crore

Eega (transl.The Fly) is a 2012 Indian Telugu-language fantasy action film written and directed by S. S. Rajamouli. The film was produced by Sai Korrapati under Vaaraahi Chalana Chitram. It was filmed simultaneously in Tamil with the title Naan Ee (transl.I, the Fly). The film stars Nani, Samantha, and Sudeepa. M. M. Keeravani composed the songs and the background score, while K. K. Senthil Kumar was the director of photography. Janardhana Maharshi and Crazy Mohan wrote the dialogue for the Telugu and Tamil versions, respectively.

The film follows a bedtime story narrated by a father to his daughter. Its protagonist, Nani, who is in love with his neighbour Bindu, is murdered by a wealthy industrialist named Sudeep, who is attracted to Bindu and considers Nani a rival. Nani reincarnates as a housefly and tries to avenge his death and protect Bindu from an obsessive Sudeep.

The idea for the film originated in the mid-1990s from a conversation in which Rajamouli's father and screenwriter V. Vijayendra Prasad joked with Rajamouli about the idea of a fly seeking revenge against a human. Rajamouli reconsidered the idea after finishing Maryada Ramanna (2010), and developed it into a script. The film's production began on 7 December 2010 at Ramanaidu Studios in Hyderabad. Principal photography began on 22 February 2011 and continued until late February 2012. Makuta VFX and Annapurna Studios oversaw Eega's visual effects and digital intermediate process, respectively.

The two versions of the film, alongside a Malayalam-dubbed version titled Eecha, were released on 6 July 2012 on approximately 1,100 screens globally. The performances of the cast, particularly Nani, Sudeep, and Samantha, along with Rajamouli's direction and the visual effects, received wide critical acclaim upon release. Eega was one of the highest-grossing Telugu films of the year, earning over ₹125 crore on an estimated budget of ₹26–40 crore. Eega won two National Film Awards (Best Feature Film in Telugu and Best Special Effects), five South Filmfare Awards including Best Telugu Film, Best Telugu Director, Best Telugu Actress (Samantha) and Best Telugu Supporting Actor (Sudeep) and three South Indian International Movie Awards. The film won nine awards, including Most Original Film at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival. Eega was listed among "The 25 Best Foreign Films of the Decade" by The Ringer.