Partially inspired by the 2003 German tragicomedy film Good Bye, Lenin!,[5]Dookudu revolves around the life of police officer Ajay Kumar (Mahesh). His father Shankar Narayana (Prakash Raj) awakes from a coma, which he has been in for many years after an accident, but his health remains perilous. To aid his recovery, Kumar masquerades as a Member of the Legislative Assembly fulfilling his father's ambition for him.[6]
Dookudu was released on 23 September 2011 in 1,600 screens worldwide,[7] and grossed ₹1.01 billion[a] worldwide on a budget of ₹350 million.[a][9][10] Steven Zeitchik of Los Angeles Times called it "the biggest hit you've never heard of".[11] The film garnered awards and nominations in several categories with particular praise for its direction, performances of the film's cast, cinematography, and music. As of April 2013, the film has won 38 awards from 50 nominations.[b]
At the 2012 Nandi Awards ceremony, Dookudu won seven awards, including those for Best Popular Feature Film and Best Actor. The film won six awards at the 59th Filmfare Awards South ceremony, including the awards for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actor, from ten nominations. Samantha and Prakash Raj also garnered nominations for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor, respectively. Dookudu received eleven nominations at the 1st South Indian International Movie Awards ceremony and won eight awards, including those for Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor. Samantha and M. S. Narayana were nominated for Best Actress and Best Comedian, respectively. The film won eight awards at the 2012 CineMAA Awards ceremony, including those for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Cinematography.
^ abThe average exchange rate in 2011 was 51.10 Indian rupees (₹) per 1 US dollar (US$).[8]
^Awards in certain categories do not have prior nominations and only winners are announced by the jury. For simplification and to avoid errors, each award in this list has been presumed to have had a prior nomination.
^Date is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.
^Kavirayani, Suresh (24 September 2011). "Dookudu movie review". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 27 December 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
^Kavirayani, Suresh (4 October 2011). "B-town grabs Dookudu". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 28 December 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2014.