Dookudu, Businessman and career setback (2011–2014)
In 2011, Mahesh collaborated with Srinu Vaitla for the film Dookudu, which was inspired in part by the 2003 German tragicomedy film Good Bye, Lenin!.[38] Co-starring Samantha Ruth Prabhu, the film received positive reviews upon release and became one of the highest grossing films of the year. The Los Angeles Times called Dookudu the "biggest hit you've never heard of".[39] For his performance in the film, Mahesh won the best actor award at the 2012 Nandi Awards ceremony.[40] He also won the best Telugu actor award at the 59th Filmfare Awards South and 1st South Indian International Movie Awards ceremonies.[41][42] After the film's gross crossed the ₹1 billion mark, Income Tax Department officials conducted a raid on Mahesh's Jubilee Hills residence as he was rumored to be getting a remuneration of more than ₹1.2 million for his next projects.[43]
He later played the role of a mafia kingpin with a hidden personal agenda in the film Businessman, co-starring Kajal Aggarwal and directed by Puri Jagannadh.[44] Upon the film's release, Mahesh received praise from the critics for his performance in the film, with Y. Sunita Chowdary of The Hindu writing, "The film has no frills, no vulgar wastage and the hero is practically in every frame; you hear only his voice, he looks good, sounds good, he also steals the comedian's job. Mahesh plays it straight."[45] Businessman became one of the highest grossing Telugu films of the year.[46] He received a nomination for best Telugu actor award at both the 60th Filmfare Awards South and the 2nd South Indian International Movie Awards ceremonies.[47][48] By then, Mahesh was reported to be the second highest paid actor in South India after Rajinikanth.[49]
Mahesh then began filming for Srikanth Addala's Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu, whose script Mahesh had approved during the pre-production phase of Dookudu.[50] Co-starring Daggubati Venkatesh along with Anjali and Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu became the first Telugu multistarrer film to be produced in the last twenty-five years.[51] Released in January 2013, the film became one of the highest grossing Telugu films of the year and marked the completion of Mahesh's hat-trick of successful films.[52] Mahesh won the best Telugu actor award at the 61st Filmfare Awards South ceremony and the 3rd South Indian International Movie Awards ceremony.[53][54] He provided voice-over for Srinu Vaitla's Baadshah the same year.[55]
Mahesh had two releases in 2014, the first one being Sukumar's 1: Nenokkadine, a psychological thriller focusing on a celebrity suffering from hallucinations related to the murder of his parents and the discovery of a special variety of rice. Kriti Sanon played the female lead in this film, marking her acting debut.[56] Made on a budget of around ₹700 million, 1: Nenokkadine was released amid huge expectations, but received mixed reviews from the critics, turning out to be a disaster by incurring a loss of around ₹260–270 million.[57] However, Mahesh's performance received praise, with critics calling it one of his best performances.[58][59][60] He also earned a nomination for the best Telugu actor at the 4th South Indian International Movie Awards.[61] The other release, Aagadu, directed by Srinu Vaitla and co-starring Tamannaah, flopped at the box office.[62]
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