# Lion (2015 film)
**Lion** (Telugu: లయన్) is a 2015 Indian Telugu-language action drama film directed by Satyadev in his debut and starring [Nandamuri Balakrishna](https://www.edgepedia.org/nandamuri-balakrishna) in a dual role, with Trisha, Radhika Apte, and [Prakash Raj](https://www.edgepedia.org/prakash-raj) in supporting parts. It was produced by Rudrapati Ramana Rao under the SLV Cinema banner, with music composed by [Mani Sharma](https://www.edgepedia.org/mani-sharma), and was released in theaters on 14 May 2015.[1](https://telugucinema.com/reviews/lion-movie-review) • [2](https://www.nowrunning.com/movie/16623/telugu/lion/) • [3](https://www.moviebuff.com/n-b-k-lion)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 14 May 2015 (India), Telugu language, U/A certificate[1](https://telugucinema.com/reviews/lion-movie-review) • [4](https://www.ragalahari.com/tollywood-news-2015-may/39962/lion-super-grand-release-on-may-14th) |
| Director | Satyadev, in his directorial debut; he also wrote the story and screenplay[1](https://telugucinema.com/reviews/lion-movie-review) • [5](https://www.behindwoods.com/telugu-movies/lion/lion-review.html) |
| Lead cast | Nandamuri Balakrishna (dual role as Bose and Godse), Trisha, Radhika Apte, Prakash Raj[3](https://www.moviebuff.com/n-b-k-lion) |
| Production | Rudrapati Ramana Rao, SLV Cinema banner; music by Mani Sharma; cinematography by V. Prasad; editing by Gowtham Raju[2](https://www.nowrunning.com/movie/16623/telugu/lion/) • [1](https://telugucinema.com/reviews/lion-movie-review) |
| Source material | Basic plot taken from the 2011 Liam Neeson film *Unknown*, with scenes likened to *The Bourne Identity* and *Walking Tall*[1](https://telugucinema.com/reviews/lion-movie-review) |
| Career marker | Balakrishna's 98th film, following his 2014 hit *Legend*[1](https://telugucinema.com/reviews/lion-movie-review) |
| Critical ratings | Times of India 2.5/5; jeevi (Idlebrain) 3/5; 123telugu 3/5; IMDb 3.2/10[6](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movie-reviews/lion-movie-review/movie-review/47287522.cms) • [7](https://www.idlebrain.com/movie/archive/lion.html) • [8](https://www.123telugu.com/reviews/lion-telugu-movie-review.html?amp=1) • [9](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4685968/) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
Bose (Balakrishna) is a sincere CBI officer appointed to investigate the murder of a former chief minister. When he learns the real cause of the death, the incumbent Chief Minister Bharadwaja (Prakash Raj) hatches a plan to stop the investigation; Bose is severely injured and falls into a coma.[1](https://telugucinema.com/reviews/lion-movie-review)
When he regains consciousness in a Mumbai hospital, everyone around him identifies him as Godse, the CEO of a company, and an elderly couple claims to be his parents. He travels to [Hyderabad](https://www.edgepedia.org/hyderabad) to search for his past, but the woman he believes is his lover, Mahalakshmi (Trisha), denies knowing him, and a woman named Sarayu ([Radhika Apte](https://www.edgepedia.org/radhika-apte)) arrives claiming to be Godse's wife. He eventually discovers that the new identity is a trap set up by the Chief Minister, and that his real name is Bose; the rest of the film follows his effort to expose the conspiracy behind the former chief minister's death.[3](https://www.moviebuff.com/n-b-k-lion) • [10](https://www.jiotv.com/full-movie/lion/d2580b04b9285493ab3c1074d7c88ed8)
## Production
Satyadev, a first-time director, said he had narrated a few lines of the story to Balakrishna four years before the film was made. The project did not materialize at the time, but Balakrishna remembered the narration and called him a year before shooting to express interest; Satyadev said he then revised the script with Balakrishna's image, body language, and the response to his recent films in mind.[11](https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/lion-was-destined-to-happen-with-balakrishna-satya-deva-115051100417_1.html)
The film was widely reported as Balakrishna's 98th movie, made after the success of his 2014 film *Legend*. Trisha was paired with Balakrishna for the first time, while Radhika Apte worked with him again after *[Legend](https://www.edgepedia.org/legend-2014-film)*. Most of the shooting took place in Hyderabad and in forest areas near [Visakhapatnam](https://www.edgepedia.org/visakhapatnam).[1](https://telugucinema.com/reviews/lion-movie-review) • [4](https://www.ragalahari.com/tollywood-news-2015-may/39962/lion-super-grand-release-on-may-14th) • [12](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movies/news/balakrishnas-new-film-titled-lion/articleshow/45688173.cms)
A title dispute preceded release: a filmmaker named Jagadish had registered the title Lion a year earlier in the [Telangana](https://www.edgepedia.org/telangana) film chamber and refused to give it up to the producer, holding a press meet to unveil his own Lion logo.[13](https://www.idlebrain.com/news/today/lion-on-mayday.html)
## Release
The makers first announced a release on 1 May 2015, after earlier plans for 30 April, and the film was eventually released worldwide on 14 May 2015 after completing censor formalities with a U/A certificate.[13](https://www.idlebrain.com/news/today/lion-on-mayday.html) • [14](https://telugu.webdunia.com/article/telugu-cinema-articles/lion-film-gets-new-release-date-115040100109_1.html) • [4](https://www.ragalahari.com/tollywood-news-2015-may/39962/lion-super-grand-release-on-may-14th) A teaser confirming the title was released around the new year, opening with a dialogue in which Balakrishna's character declares that his blows are heard in history.[15](https://telugu.filmibeat.com/news/new-year-treat-balakrishna-s-lion-teaser-released-042949.html)
Reported runtimes differ across databases: 2 hours 23 minutes on IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes, 146 minutes on JioTV, 2 hours 36 minutes on several streaming listings, and 2 hours 40 minutes on Times of India and [BookMyShow](https://www.edgepedia.org/bookmyshow).[9](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4685968/) • [10](https://www.jiotv.com/full-movie/lion/d2580b04b9285493ab3c1074d7c88ed8) • [16](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/lion/ET00027376) • [6](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movie-reviews/lion-movie-review/movie-review/47287522.cms) The film later became available for streaming in India on Sun NXT, including through Airtel Xstream Play, and on [MX Player](https://www.edgepedia.org/mx-player).[17](https://www.airtelxstream.in/movies/lion/SUNNXT_MOVIE_7734) • [18](https://www.digit.in/digit-binge/movies/lion-67844.html)
## Reception
**Critical response.** Reviews were mixed to negative, with Balakrishna's performance the most consistently praised element. The Times of India critic gave 2.5 out of 5, writing that at a run time of 160 minutes the film "feels excruciatingly long" and that the story is barely engaging despite several twists.[6](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movie-reviews/lion-movie-review/movie-review/47287522.cms) Jalapathy Gudelli, publisher and chief critic of TeluguCinema.com, called it a mix of several Hollywood action thrillers whose basic plot is taken from *Unknown*, and judged that the film fails to create even half the impact of *Legend*, while crediting Balakrishna's fiery performance, punch dialogues, and the two heroines as positives.[1](https://telugucinema.com/reviews/lion-movie-review) The reviewer jeevi of Idlebrain rated it 3/5 with the punchline "NBK's show," noting that a good screenplay and stronger buildups to key scenes would have helped.[7](https://www.idlebrain.com/movie/archive/lion.html) 123telugu, also at 3/5, described the film as a complete Balakrishna film and a one-man show, praising his variations across the two characters and his confrontation scenes with Prakash Raj.[8](https://www.123telugu.com/reviews/lion-telugu-movie-review.html?amp=1) Behindwoods criticized the over-dramatized scenarios, song placements, and simple story.[5](https://www.behindwoods.com/telugu-movies/lion/lion-review.html) On IMDb the film holds a user rating of 3.2/10 from 561 votes.[9](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4685968/)
**Box office.** A Times of India retrospective on the film's sixth anniversary described its box-office response as mixed.[19](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/entertainment/regional/telugu/6-years-of-lion-nandamuri-balakrishna-has-been-unanimously-appreciated-by-everyone-for-his-performance/videoshow/82613592.cms) Airtel Xstream Play's listing FAQ, by contrast, calls the film a hit based on its theatrical performance; the two characterizations differ.[17](https://www.airtelxstream.in/movies/lion/SUNNXT_MOVIE_7734)
## References
1. [Lion – Movie Review, TeluguCinema.com (Jalapathy Gudelli, 14 May 2015)](https://telugucinema.com/reviews/lion-movie-review)
2. [Lion Telugu Movie overview, Nowrunning](https://www.nowrunning.com/movie/16623/telugu/lion/)
3. [N.B.K. Lion storyline and credits, Moviebuff](https://www.moviebuff.com/n-b-k-lion)
4. [Lion super grand release on May 14th, Ragalahari (5 May 2015)](https://www.ragalahari.com/tollywood-news-2015-may/39962/lion-super-grand-release-on-may-14th)
5. [Lion Movie Review, Behindwoods Review Board](https://www.behindwoods.com/telugu-movies/lion/lion-review.html)
6. [Lion Movie Review {2.5/5}, Times of India (Hemanth Kumar)](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movie-reviews/lion-movie-review/movie-review/47287522.cms)
7. [Lion review by jeevi, Idlebrain](https://www.idlebrain.com/movie/archive/lion.html)
8. [Review: Lion – Balakrishna's one man show, 123telugu (16 May 2015)](https://www.123telugu.com/reviews/lion-telugu-movie-review.html?amp=1)
9. [Lion (2015), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4685968/)
10. [Lion (2015) full movie listing, JioTV](https://www.jiotv.com/full-movie/lion/d2580b04b9285493ab3c1074d7c88ed8)
11. ['Lion' was destined to happen with Balakrishna: Satya Deva, IANS via Business Standard (11 May 2015)](https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/lion-was-destined-to-happen-with-balakrishna-satya-deva-115051100417_1.html)
12. [Balakrishna's new film titled Lion?, Times of India (30 December 2014)](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movies/news/balakrishnas-new-film-titled-lion/articleshow/45688173.cms)
13. [Lion on May Day, Idlebrain (20 March 2015)](https://www.idlebrain.com/news/today/lion-on-mayday.html)
14. [Lion film gets new release date, Webdunia Telugu (1 April 2015)](https://telugu.webdunia.com/article/telugu-cinema-articles/lion-film-gets-new-release-date-115040100109_1.html)
15. [New Year Treat: Balakrishna's 'Lion' Teaser Released, Filmibeat Telugu (1 January 2015)](https://telugu.filmibeat.com/news/new-year-treat-balakrishna-s-lion-teaser-released-042949.html)
16. [Lion (2015) movie page, BookMyShow](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/lion/ET00027376)
17. [Lion 2015 on Airtel Xstream Play (via Sun NXT)](https://www.airtelxstream.in/movies/lion/SUNNXT_MOVIE_7734)
18. [Lion Movie (2015), Digit Binge / MX Player](https://www.digit.in/digit-binge/movies/lion-67844.html)
19. [6 years of Lion, Times of India video (14 May 2021)](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/entertainment/regional/telugu/6-years-of-lion-nandamuri-balakrishna-has-been-unanimously-appreciated-by-everyone-for-his-performance/videoshow/82613592.cms)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Indian films (individual works) › Telugu films of the 2010s › Telugu films of 2014–2016*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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