Sangeetha Devi Dundoo

In 2012, when director Harish Shankar teamed up with Pawan Kalyan for Gabbar Singh, an adaptation of Dabangg, it resulted in a massy outing that capitalised on the star’s nonchalant attitude. The film entertained, even if it did not break new ground in storytelling. A lot has changed since then and the star is now the deputy chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. In Ustaad Bhagat Singh, the director rehashes the outdated template of Gabbar Singh, and infuses it with a heavy dose of ideology that powers the actor-politician today. The result is a narrative that appears to be randomly stitched together to tick a few boxes on a checklist.

Some films try to punch above their weight while others play to the strengths of their core team and work within set limits. Mrithyunjay, the Telugu film written and directed by Hussain Sha Kiran and led by Sree Vishnu, falls into the latter category. Designed as an investigative thriller, it builds intrigue in parts. A few smart stretches, however, are undercut by convenient writing choices that keep the film from becoming fully engaging. On the positive side, Mrithyunjay stays focused on its core story and characters across its 122-minute runtime. It avoids needless frills. The comedy is situational and blends smoothly into the narrative, and the film resists forcing in a romantic track. Sree Vishnu plays Jay, an aspiring crime reporter, while Reba Monica John appears as Sita, a police officer. Their paths cross solely during the investigation. The story keeps her personal life out of the frame, while Jay’s past trauma is revealed only enough to lend the narrative emotional weight.

Euphoria is a difficult watch that demands viewer discretion; its ‘A’ certification is justified. Eschewing the mindless violence common in mainstream cinema, writer-director Gunasekhar delivers a sharp fictional drama rooted in a harrowing true story that shook Hyderabad. The film uses its narrative to pose urgent questions through three interconnected lenses: a survivor reclaiming her life, a mother desperate to reform her son, and the perpetrator’s uneasy and long path toward redemption.

The 2022 Malayalam film Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey was not subtle in its take on patriarchy, opting instead for an intentionally over-the-top reversal of power. In adapting the film into Telugu and relocating it to the Godavari region, director A.R. Sajeev stays largely faithful to the original. Om Shanti Shanti Shantihi is a partly fun, partly simmering emotional drama, shouldered by compelling performances from Eesha Rebba and Tharun Bhascker. While it does not always strike the right note, the film effectively captures the many ways patriarchy continues to stifle women, and how both men and women often enable it.

There are two strands to Cheekatilo (In the Darkness), the Prime Video original Telugu film directed by Sharan Kopishetty. On the surface, it is a crime drama that attempts to build an edge-of-the-seat whodunnit. At its core, however, it is a social commentary that urges silenced voices to speak, heal and find closure to long-buried wounds. In a film led by Sobhita Dhulipala, this second strand proves far more compelling.

Two years after the urban romcom Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty(2023), actor-screenwriter Naveen Polishetty returns with another film laced with humour. In contrast to the restraint he showed in that film, Naveen unabashedly plays to the gallery in Anaganaga Oka Raju. The humour is delivered through gags that come at such a rapid pace that the audience may not get a breather to pause and reflect.

Certain things are a given in a film written and directed by Anil Ravipudi. There will be ample comedy, even if much of it is unabashedly silly. Viewers familiar with his work know not to expect nuance, or much by way of technical polish. In Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu, his first collaboration with Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi, Ravipudi leans into these strengths, loading the film with humour and fanboy moments that bank on the actor’s nostalgic appeal. The chief pleasure lies in watching Chiranjeevi clearly enjoying himself, aided by an extended cameo from Venkatesh Daggubati and the presence of Nayanthara.

Early on in The Raja Saab, a health scare prompts Prabhas to ask comedian Mahesh Achanta to fetch an odd assortment of items, from footwear to cigarettes. When Mahesh asks if he is serious, Prabhas snaps back with: do the needful — call an ambulance. The exchange is meant to be funny, but it lands flat, setting the tone for what follows. Written and directed by Maruthi, The Raja Saab aims to rewind Telugu cinema to a pre-Baahubali Prabhas — when he thrived in light-hearted roles with space for romance and comedy, à la Darling or Mr Perfect. The actor appears willing to embrace this blend of horror, comedy, fantasy and romance. Yet the film collapses into a baffling hotchpotch that squanders a promising premise. At 189 minutes, it becomes an endurance test, where the occasional spark of fun is smothered by a dull, meandering narrative.