SS Rajamouli’s Varanasi, starring Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Prithviraj Sukumaran, is being mounted as a global action adventure spectacle. Norway based VFX and animation studio Gimpville is officially listed among the international teams working on the project, alongside MistyMan Studios, Viskefi and Phantom FX.&nbsp;The VFX scale was already evident in Varanasi’s announcement video, which took nearly a year to create. VFX supervisor Srinivas Mohan revealed that the team used 400fps slow motion to capture intricate movement and grandeur. Ten shots were completely CGI, while Mahesh Babu’s three shots were filmed against green screen.&nbsp;Gimpville’s involvement adds another international dimension to Varanasi’s visual pipeline. The studio itself describes the Rajamouli project as a major epic adventure and lists the film among its productions. The collaboration reflects the scale of the filmmaker’s approach, with multiple specialist VFX teams contributing to different aspects of the visual world.&nbsp;Beyond CGI, Rajamouli has also explored advanced performance capture technology for Varanasi. Key sequences were filmed at the A&amp;M Motion Capture facility in Hyderabad, allowing complex action to be developed within digital environments. With production combining practical photography, motion capture and extensive CGI, Varanasi is shaping up as one of Indian cinema’s most technically ambitious projects.&nbsp;- Veda

Movie News

Varanasi Brings VFX Giant From Norway

With Gimpville Studio Entering Rajamouli Pushes Varanasi Towards Global Visual Standards

&nbsp;&nbsp;Allu Arjun and Atlee’s Raaka has reached a crucial promotional stage, with the much awaited glimpse scheduled for September 21. The makers have maintained secrecy around the film, using cryptic promotional material to build curiosity. A mysterious “37” and 'Global Triumph' motion posters has further intensified speculation about what the upcoming glimpse could reveal.The project is mounted on an enormous scale, with reports describing it as a major sci fi or fantasy action spectacle featuring extensive visual effects. Reports have also suggested a reported budget ranging from ₹700 crore to ₹1,000 crore, although the makers have not officially confirmed the exact figure.Raaka marks the first collaboration between Allu Arjun and Atlee, adding considerable curiosity to the project. Deepika Padukone and other prominent actors are also part of the ensemble, while the story details remain closely guarded. With such a large scale production, the first major visual reveal becomes important in establishing the film’s world and tone.Recent reports suggest director Cibi Chakravarthi has praised the visuals shown by Atlee, even comparing their impact with Avatar. Meanwhile, the makers’ cryptic campaign has kept fans decoding every update. The September 21 glimpse will now provide the first substantial look at Raaka’s ambitious visual world and could define its promotional journey ahead.- Veda

Raaka Glimpse Carries Massive Expectations

Raaka Team Taking Care Of Every Detail To Strike Big With Its First Release

&nbsp;&nbsp;Rashmika talks about her hip injury. Rashmika sometime back injured her hip while shooting for an action sequence. She recovered completely and started shooting for her films.In the meantime, Rashmika revealed how she spent during hip injury. She said it helped her get closer to her husband Vijay Devarakonda. She said “We didn’t get to see each other for three months after the wedding; we would just speak on the phone. This was the universe’s way of saying, calm down, I will keep you at home now. This is the most time we have spent together and it was strange but nice. He likes watching serious shows and K-dramas are my thing, so now we watch both. I have managed to convert him already,"Rashmika said Vijay also enjoyed spending time together during the break and would like them to have more such time together. However, he joked that next time, it should happen without an injury. “Vijay says, ‘Let’s have more of this, but next time without an injury!’" she said.- Pramod Nandivada

Rashmika surprise take on her hip injury

Rashmika talks about her hip injury

Shruti Haasan replaces Samantha in a Hollywood project. Samantha was supposed to star in a Indo-UK project helmed by by Philip John of Downton Abbey fame and is based on the novel, The Arrangements of Love. But according to the latest, it is now coming out that she is replaced by Shruti Haasan.Shruti sharing her excitement said “Hailing from Chennai, this story that showcases the diversity and uniqueness of the city is special to me.” she added, “I look forward to collaborating with Phil. Telling rooted stories via international collaborations is what making cinema is all about.” The British Film Institute’s UK Global Screen Fund also backs the film. Chennai Story is a rom-com set in Wales and India. Shruti will play Anu, a spunky private detective. The film is written and directed by BAFTA-winner Philip and is co-written by Nimmi Harasgama. The film will predominantly be English, interspersed with little Tamil and Welsh. The Arrangements of Love tells the story of a bisexual Tamil woman, who runs a detective agency. A Welsh-Indian man is on a quest to find his estranged father. Shruti will play the detective, who helps him out, while Viveik will play the man on the search for his father. Samantha had auditioned to land the role of Anu, but given the actor is on a break from working, it looks like the makers have decided to go forward without her.- Pramod Nandivada

Hollywood project: Shruti in, Samantha out

Shruti Haasan replaces Samantha in a Hollywood project

&nbsp;&nbsp; Sonu Sood reacts to long queues for IPhone 18 launch. The craze for IPhones are immense and now people are queuing to see the launch of IPhone 18. Sonu Sood shared a picture of customers waiting in long queues outside an Apple store and used the iPhone 18 launch to make a larger point about what people choose to prioritise. He wrote on X: “New phone, new EMI… same old bills! Maybe it's time we queue up to make a difference, not just upgrade our phones. The real upgrade is a better society.” One user wrote, “The truth is bitter, but it is the truth! I wish the youth of the country showed the same enthusiasm in queuing up to change society!”Another questioned the need to spend hours waiting for a new device, writing, "I don’t understand this queuing up. It is going to be the same Iphone18 tomorrow , day after and later as well. It is not as if it is a limited collection and Apple wouldn’t sell this phone tomorrow onward. They are in the business of selling devices , they will come after you to sell their product. Dont fall for this PR. If you had to queue up , queue up for good reasons like donating blood , helping poor and needy etc."A third user also questioned the amount being spent on the new phone, saying, “Spending 3-3.5 lakhs on a Iphone isn't a good idea regardless of the financial affluence of the individual.”- Pramod Nandivada

Sonu Sood on long queues for IPhone 18

Sonu Sood reacts to long queues for IPhone 18 launch

&nbsp;&nbsp; Shruti Haasan spoke about periods. Shruti Haasan speaking to scribes revealed &nbsp;“I mean, there’s only one solution to this, and I prayed about it a thousand times that men get periods. And then we’d have, like, period holidays written into our contract.”Shruti mentioned having painful periods due to her PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) diagnosis. She continued “Yes, I will do it, but it would be so much more collaborative if you knew what I was going through. And then I noticed, one of my co-stars was like, you know, I’ve had that knee surgery. And they were like, oh okay, so let’s work around this. And I was like, I have my period. It’s literally how it started. The first time I told a director, he has a daughter, and he said she also has very bad cramps. It just changed the colour,”Shruti Haasan was last seen in a special song in Ram Charan, Janhvi Kapoor's Peddi helmed by Buchi Babu Sana.- Pramod Nandivada

When Shruti prayed for periods for men

Shruti Haasan spoke about periods

&nbsp; Rashmika on starring in multiple languages. Rashmika Mandanna, speaking to scribes, said &nbsp;"I am a Kodava and speak Kodava Takk, we dont have an industry for my mother tongue. So language has never been a barrier in my career. I treat all languages as my own. My fans who I call my family first suggested, why dont you do a Telugu film, it was the same with Hindi, and that's how my trajectory grew."What about reactions to her accent? She says, "As long as I can respond to questions posed in a particular language, it's okay, that's how I respect my audiences from different parts of the world." About her accent, he said “As an actor my job is to tell good stories on set and come back. With every film I believe the best of us are there to create something magical. I stick to my job and the end result is a compilation of all these energies coming together. I don't like stepping on someone's toes, I just focus on giving my best performance as an actor.”- Pramod Nandivada

Rashmika about multiple languages

Rashmika on starring in multiple languages

Radhika Apte who is known for her bold and frank talk is now came up with a shocker about Shah Rukh Khan' old films.She said &nbsp;she was surprised and even unsettled when she went back to some of the older films she once enjoyed and noticed how often chasing a woman or ignoring her refusal was shown as romance.“Being tied and our pallu being taken off were the dreams we used to get as teenagers. How scary is that,” she said. “No offence… I’m a huge Shah Rukh fan, but when I revisited some of the old films I used to like, I was really taken aback. Because when a woman says no, it’s never taken as no. Chasing a woman was romance. That’s what we wanted at that time, and it was really shocking” .“But even at that time, the gaze was always male. And the women were sexualized,” she argued. “You’re putting that element down and making jokes at its expense anyway. That’s the problem — the sexualisation of women, and then by saying, ‘Don’t sexualize them’, and then calling them devi, and putting them on some pedestal of morality that you approve of. I find that problematic”.---- Pramod Nandivada &nbsp;

Radhika Apte shocker about Shah Rukh films

Radhika Apte on Shah Rukh Khan earlier films

Jason Vijay's debut directorial venture Sigma is the cynosure of all eyes as he happens tobe the son of Tamil Nadu CM Vijay. The film stars Sundeep Kishan in the lead role and is slated for a grand release on 2 October 2026.The film's songs and teaser got good response and today they released the trailer. Sundeep Kishan and Fiarah Abdullah made their presence felt in the trailer which highlighted the money heist. Sundeep Kishan impressed showing variations in expressions and emotions and Fiara Abdullah looked cute as RJ Sara.The background score and cinematography added value to the narration. Thaman is the music director for the film. The film has Cinematography by Krishnan Vasant, editing by Praveen KL and it is bankrolled on Subaskaran’s Lyca Productions in a lavish manner.. The film stars Raju Sundaram, Sampath Raj, Shiv Pandit, Anbu Thasan, and Yog Japee in important roles.---- Pramod Nandivada

Sigma trailer tal

Sigma trailer review

Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) brought the new rules notified by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on September 16 under the Cinematograph Act,.The guidelines also bar content that promotes “communal, obscurantist, anti-scientific or anti-national attitudes.” They further state that films should not "strain India's friendly relations with foreign states."Many felt that the rule targets Salman Khan's Maatrubhoomi. Netizens reacted in a furious manner.One user criticised the CBFC's role altogether, writing, “CBFC is a censor board, not a certification board like it's name claims to be. It needs to be scrapped. Also documentary makers should just release the uncensored versions on platforms that the indian govt cannot control or send takedown notices to.”Another questioned whether the rules would be applied equally, saying, “They won't follow this for propaganda movies. This is only for the movies they don't want ppl to see. Indian cinema is as good as dead.”Concerns about selective implementation also came up, with one user commenting, “Going to be followed very selectively and with extreme bias. Not going to add to this.”A fourth user took a broader view of the changes, writing, “Actually, calling them guidelines seems insincere; edicts would be a better word. Call yourself the Central Board of Film Censorship.”One more user pointed to the distinction between certification and censorship, writing, “Somebody tell the govt we had discarded the censor board in 1983 and the only objective of CBFC is supposed to be certifying films based on its content and not to censor scenes. We have courts to decide for the latter.”Another user said, “Ideally conscientious artists in the country should respond unkindly to this. A protest, an open letter. Something. Because what is even this.”---- Pramod Nandivada

Gossips

Internet furious over CBFC anti national rule

Netizens fire CBFC over anti national rule

Following the blockbuster success of Bethlehem Kudumba Unit, Bhavana Studios has announced Picnic as its next Malayalam production. Fahadh Faasil, Dileesh Pothan and Syam Pushkaran are backing the project, which is scheduled to reach theatres on January 14, 2027, continuing the banner’s focus on fresh, character driven stories.Picnic marks the directorial debut of Kiran Josey, who has co written the screenplay with Anuraj OB. Kiran previously worked as a co writer on Premalu and Bethlehem Kudumba Unit. The first look poster presents a seemingly cheerful family gathering, although the makers have kept the film’s story and genre details under wraps.Sandeep Pradeep leads an ensemble cast featuring Indrajith Sukumaran, Dileesh Pothan, Sujin Sreedharan, Akshatha Ajith, Reshma Jose and several others. The technical team includes composer Govind Vasantha, lyricist Suhail Koya, cinematographer Adarsh Sadanandan, editor Sanath Sivaraj and production designer Vivek Kalathil.Picnic arrives after the phenomenal run of Bethlehem Kudumba Unit, directed by Girish AD and starring Nivin Pauly and Mamitha Baiju. The film has crossed the ₹300 crore worldwide mark and surpassed Lokah to become the highest Kerala grossing Malayalam film, according to recent industry reports.The success strengthens Bhavana Studios’ reputation for backing unconventional and audience-friendly cinema. Fahadh Faasil has also credited fresh storytelling for Bethlehem Kudumba Unit’s success. With Picnic bringing together a debutant director and a diverse cast, expectations will centre on whether Kiran Josey can deliver another distinctive Malayalam film. - Veda &nbsp;

Picnic Announced As Bhavana Studios Next Film With Cowriter Of Premalu And Behthlehem Kudumba Unit

Makers Of Premalu And BKU Announces Picnic

Dhruv Vikram , son of Chiyaan Vikram is starring in a film titled Jackie. The film directed by Karan Arvind Kumar is generating immense interest among movie lovers.The makers today released the trailer and it showed Dhruv in the role of a dupe. He is seen enacting high octane action sequences, to thrill all the fans. He showed his style and swag to attract all.Santosh Narayanan is the music director while Vicky is the cinematographer. Jayasuriya is the editor for the project.Mythri Movie Makers banner is bankrolling the project in a prestigious manner. Jackie is billed as an out-and-out commercial entertainer with the tagline "No Retakes Allowed." The first look, unveiled on Sunday, featured Dhruv in an intense action avatar.The film marks Dhruv's fourth film and Mythri Movie Makers' fourth Tamil production. Satvika plays the female lead. &nbsp;

Jackie First Move out

Jackie First Move: Dhruv shows his power

Kiran Abbavaram’s production venture Hatah is generating curiosity with an unconventional promotional campaign. Instead of revealing the storyline, the teaser and earlier title glimpse rely on eerie imagery, unanswered questions and a dark atmosphere. The film is presented as a mystery driven project, keeping its core concept deliberately under wraps.Directed by debutant Anush Gorak, Hatah features Kushlu Maddala, Rehman, Namritha MV and Tanuja Puttaswamy in key roles. Gorak has also handled the writing and cinematography, while Kiran Abbavaram and Y. Shivashankara Naidu are backing the project under KA Productions and Pournami Entertainments.Hatah’s promotions began with a striking black cat mystery and the question, “Is this cat alive or..?” Reports have suggested psychological thriller and horror elements, while the latest teaser continues the film’s cryptic tone. The phrase “Beyond Known” further hints at a narrative that could move beyond conventional logic and familiar storytelling.Jasin George is composing the music, with Akhil Chakravarthy handling the editing. The promotional material highlights an atmospheric visual language, unsettling imagery and suspense oriented sound design. With Anush Gorak combining writing, direction and cinematography, Hatah appears positioned as an experimental mystery thriller rather than a conventional commercial entertainer.<figure class="media"><oembed url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uhHj6HAuWk"></oembed></figure> - Veda

Kiran Abbavaram Production Horror Thriller Hatah Teaser

Hatah Teaser Builds Intrigue With A Dark Mystery

Mandaadi director Mathimaran Pugazhendhi has clarified his comments about Suhas at the film’s success meet, saying his remarks referred to comments allegedly made by an individual and were not aimed at Telugu people, Telugu audiences or the Telugu film industry. He also expressed regret over any misunderstanding caused by his words.At the success event, Mathimaran recalled that Suhas had been affected by comments about his appearance before joining Mandaadi. He said he had promised to respond if the film succeeded. In his clarification, the director recalled praising Telugu cinema at the Hyderabad pre release event and stressed his respect for its industry and audience.Suhas also responded amid the discussion, but chose not to directly debate the controversy. Instead, he thanked Telugu audiences for supporting his journey from YouTube short films to character roles and eventually leading parts. He said their encouragement opened opportunities, including his association with Mandaadi, and thanked viewers across states for embracing his performance.Suhas built recognition through Telugu films including Colour Photo and Writer Padmabhushan before making his Tamil debut with Mandaadi. He plays Sattapuli opposite Soori, marking a significant change in image. His performance has received attention alongside the film’s theatrical success, with reports placing its worldwide gross near ₹80 crore after eight days.The controversy therefore stems from how Mathimaran’s original comments were interpreted, rather than a stated criticism of Tollywood as an industry. His clarification specifically separates the alleged remarks from Telugu cinema and its audiences, while Suhas’ message highlights the support he says he has received throughout his career. Mandaadi released in Tamil and Telugu on September 10. - Veda&nbsp;

Mandaadi Director Clarifies Remarks On Suhas

Suhas Clarifies About Mandaadi Directors Remarks 

The Telugu theatrical rights of Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2 have triggered considerable trade interest ahead of its October 15 release. Sun Pictures is reportedly quoting around ₹55 crore plus GST, while Naga Vamsi is said to have offered approximately ₹45 crore plus GST. The final deal is yet to be officially announced.Dil Raju, who was involved in the Telugu release of Jailer, is reportedly not actively pursuing the Jailer 2 deal. His company had acquired Yash’s Toxic AP - Telangana rights for ₹100 crore on an advance based commission arrangement earlier this year. Toxic subsequently underperformed expectations, creating additional commercial pressure around the distribution business.Jailer remains an important reference point for the sequel’s Telugu business, having delivered strong theatrical returns in the region. Earlier reports indicated that Asian Suniel, Dil Raju and Suresh Babu handled the Telugu release on a commission basis. For Jailer 2, however, the makers appear to be pursuing a more conventional rights deal.Current trade reports suggest negotiations have increasingly centred on Naga Vamsi, although the final agreement has not been officially confirmed. With Rajinikanth returning as Tiger Muthuvel Pandian, Nelson Dilipkumar directing and Anirudh Ravichander composing, Jailer 2 is scheduled for worldwide release on October 15, 2026. - Veda

Dil Raju Steps Away From Jailer 2

Naga Vamsi Emerges As Key Contender For Jailer 2 Telugu Rights 

&nbsp;&nbsp; The Paradise, starring Nani and directed by Srikanth Odela, is gearing up for its multilingual theatrical release on September 24, 2026. The makers are reportedly working at a brisk pace on post production, while the film’s team continues building anticipation around the upcoming action drama.A new picture featuring Nani, Srikanth Odela and composer Anirudh Ravichander has gone viral on social media. The trio is seen from behind wearing customised jackets while watching an intense Nani sequence on an editing screen monitor, prompting fans to compare the composition with the popular three headed dragon meme.Produced by Sudhakar Cherukuri under SLV Cinemas, The Paradise brings together Nani and Dasara director Srikanth Odela again. Kayadu Lohar plays the female lead, while Mohan Babu, Sonali Kulkarni, Tanikella Bharani and Sampoornesh Babu are part of the supporting cast, adding further scale to the project.Anirudh Ravichander’s music is expected to be an important element of the film’s presentation, alongside the action driven narrative and intense visual world created by Odela. With post production progressing and the September 24 release date approaching, the makers are expected to unveil additional promotional material as The Paradise enters its final campaign. - Veda

Crows Replaced Dragons For Paradise

Nani Srikanth Odela And Anirudh Viral Three Dragons Moment

&nbsp;Raaka promises Global Triumph. Icon Star Allu Arjun's Raaka directed by Atlee is the cynosure of all eyes. A day before the makers increased the curiosity levels by releasing a cryptic post about the film.Today, the makers came up with the interesting video promising global triumph. The video has the words " Beyond What Seemed Possible,We Dared To Imagine, We Dared To Achieve.. Raaka, A Global Triumph"The film stars Deepika Padukone as the female lead while Janhvi Kapoor, Mrunal Thakur, Rashmika Mandanna are starring in important roles.Sai Abhyankar is tuning music for the film bankrolled on Sun Pictures banner. Allu Arjun is playing completely different roles and he is undergoing transformation for his role in the film. Deepika Padukone enacted breathtaking stunts even though she is a pregnant to take everyone by surprise.It is coming out that Allu Arjun will be seen in not one or two but in three different roles. Earlier rumours spread that Allu Arjun will be seen as a father and son in two roles. Now another exciting info is coming about his third role. Buzz is he will be seen as a doppelganger.- Pramod Nandivada

Raaka promises Global Triumph

What Global Triumph Raaka is talking about

&nbsp;&nbsp; Vishal reportedly sustained minor injuries while filming an action sequence for Purushan, the upcoming Tamil film directed by Sundar C. The incident occurred during the ongoing Goa schedule, following which the shoot was temporarily halted. The actor has reportedly been advised to rest before returning to the sets.Purushan, titled Mogudu for its Telugu release, is an action comedy featuring Vishal and Tamannaah Bhatia in the lead roles. The project marks the fourth collaboration between Vishal and Sundar C after Aambala, Action and Madha Gaja Raja. Yogi Babu is also part of the principal cast.The makers introduced Purushan through an extended title promo that offered a glimpse into its unusual premise. Vishal appears to play an apparently submissive husband who secretly possesses a violent side, while Tamannaah portrays his dominant wife. The promotional material combines domestic comedy with action and has generated interest.Produced by ACS Arun Kumar and Khushbu Sundar, Purushan features music by Hiphop Tamizha, cinematography by Gopi Amarnath and editing by Roger. The film began production in Chennai earlier this year before subsequent schedules. With the Goa action schedule temporarily affected by Vishal’s injury, the team is expected to resume filming after his recovery. - Veda

Hero Injured On Sets

Vishal Injured During Purushan Shooting At Goa

&nbsp;&nbsp; Mandaadi director Mathimaran Pugazhendhi has sparked discussion after claiming that Suhas faced racist comments about his appearance before entering Tamil cinema. Speaking at the film’s success meet, the filmmaker said Suhas was disappointed by such remarks and suggested that Tamil audiences had welcomed him without judging his skin colour.The comments have generated debate among Telugu audiences because Suhas has built his career steadily through Telugu cinema, moving from YouTube and supporting roles to acclaimed performances in films including Colour Photo and Writer Padmabhushan. His Mandaadi performance as Sattapuli has also received attention, marking his Tamil debut in a negative role.The remarks are particularly notable because Mandaadi has also received a strong response from Telugu audiences. Soori publicly thanked Telugu viewers for celebrating the film, while Mathimaran acknowledged the positive reception across regions. Current box office reports also indicate a healthy theatrical run, with worldwide gross nearing ₹80 crore during its early days.At present, the claim about Suhas facing racist comments remains attributed to Mathimaran’s account, publicly available reports do not establish the identity of those allegedly responsible. Suhas’s own career trajectory in Telugu with more than halfa dozen films as lead and Mandaadi’s Telugu reception provide additional context to the discussion, while the controversy continues to generate reactions across Telugu social media circles. - Veda

Mandaadi Director Remarks On Suhas Trigger Debate

Mandaadi Director Claims Suhas Faced Racist Remarks

&nbsp;&nbsp; Kannada star Upendra has been unveiled in a striking first look from Zombie Reddy 2 NXT LVL: Dead or Alive. The sequel stars Teja Sajja and is created by filmmaker Prasanth Varma, with Suparn S Varma directing. The film promises another horror action adventure within the franchise’s expanding superhero universe.Released on Upendra’s birthday, the poster presents the actor in a rugged and ferocious avatar. He is seen hanging upside down from a massive tree branch inside a dense forest, holding a large tribal weapon. Flowing hair, intense expressions, torches and mysterious silhouettes create an intriguing fantasy action atmosphere.Zombie Reddy 2 NXT LVL features Shanaya Kapoor as the female lead, marking her Telugu debut. T.G. Vishwa Prasad and Krithi Prasad are producing the ambitious project under People Media Factory, while Prasanth Varma continues as creator. Upendra has already joined the ongoing shoot for his important role.The technical team includes composer Gowra Hari, cinematographer Abhinandan Ramanujam and editor Vijay Velukutty. The sequel is being planned as a multilingual release in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, Nepali and Japanese. Following the earlier title glimpse featuring Teja Sajja, Upendra’s first look has added fresh curiosity around the film. - Veda

Upendra FL From Zombie Reddy 2

Upendra Introduced In A Fierce Avatar In Zombie Reddy 2 First Look

&nbsp;&nbsp; Nani’s upcoming pan India action drama The Paradise is generating strong interest ahead of its theatrical release. However, Kayadu Lohar, who plays the female lead, has been notably absent from recent promotional activities. During a Chennai press meet, Nani addressed the issue and clarified that there is no disagreement between Kayadu and the film’s team.Nani explained that Kayadu is currently shooting for a project directed by Mari Selvaraj, which prevented her from attending the Chennai promotional event. In his characteristic light hearted manner, Nani suggested that Mari Selvaraj did not let the actress leave the ongoing shoot. He also dismissed speculation about any issues involving the team.Directed by Srikanth Odela, The Paradise marks Nani’s next major collaboration with the Dasara filmmaker. The cast includes Kayadu Lohar, Mohan Babu, Raghav Juyal and Sampath Raj in important roles. The film is being positioned as a pan India release, with its intense world and action driven narrative attracting considerable attention.The makers are scheduled to hold a grand pre release event in Hyderabad on September 21, ahead of The Paradise’s worldwide theatrical release on September 24. Kayadu Lohar’s presence at the Hyderabad event remains to be seen, while Nani and the team are expected to intensify promotions as the release date approaches. &nbsp;

Why Kayadu Away From Paradise Promotions

Nani Clarifies Kayadu Lohar Absence From The Paradise Promotions

&nbsp;&nbsp;Ranabaali first single on this date. Vijay Devarakonda's upcoming period action drama Ranabaali directed by Rahul Sankartiyan of Taxiwala fame is progressing at a brisk pace. The film's promotions are increasing the interest levels among move lovers.Today the makers came up with the update on the film's first single. The film's first single is titled Endhayyasaami and will be released on 21 Sep 2026. It is known that when the makers released the song bit as Vijay Devarakonda, Rashmika Mandanna's wedding special, it turned out to be a big hit.Now, the stage is set for the full version of the song release in five different languages. Rashmika Mandanna is the female lead in the film which stars Hollywood star Arnold Vosloo in an important role. Ajay-Atul is the music director for the film produced by Naveen Yerneni and Y. Ravi Shankar under Mythri Movie Makers. The film is presented by T-Series and is releasing on 16 October 2026 as Vijayadashami Special.&nbsp;- Pramod Nandivada

Ranabaali first single on this date

Update on Ranabaali first single

Bethlehem Kudumba Unit has continued its remarkable theatrical run, crossing the ₹315 crore mark worldwide after four weeks. The Nivin Pauly and Mamitha Baiju starrer has maintained strong momentum in Kerala and overseas markets, becoming the highest grossing Malayalam film according to current trade tracking.Directed by Girish AD, the romantic comedy has delivered consistently across multiple weeks rather than depending solely on its opening. The film crossed ₹300 crore within 25 days, surpassing Lokah: Chapter 1 – Chandra, which had finished around ₹303 crore worldwide. Its reported overseas contribution has also remained exceptionally strong.Bethlehem Kudumba Unit has also rewritten the Kerala box office record, crossing ₹130 crore in the state standing at 145+ crores and moving ahead of Vaazha 2: Biopic of a Billion Bros. It's Current tracking places its worldwide total around ₹315 crore, while the India net has reached approximately ₹152.20 crore after 28 days.The film was expected to benefit further from its Tamil and Telugu dubbed versions, although their contribution has reportedly been below initial expectations. With the ₹350 crore milestone still requiring roughly ₹35 crore more, reaching that figure will depend on the film’s remaining theatrical momentum. Current trade estimates suggest a final collection around ₹335 crore. - Veda

Mollywood Industry Hit BKU Still Going Strong

Bethlehem Kudumba Unit Worldwide Four Weeks Box Office Collections

&nbsp;&nbsp; Dhruva Natchathiram, starring Vikram and directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, has received another major development in its long delayed theatrical journey. Gautham Menon has informed the Madras High Court that an investor has been finalised to facilitate the film’s release before October 31, 2026.The latest court proceedings also concern a reported ₹10.57 crore payment to Vikram. Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy has directed Gautham Menon to submit documents and payment details to court appointed observers before the amount can be considered for disbursement. The court subsequently extended the release deadline until October 31, subject to these financial conditions.Dhruva Natchathiram has faced years of production delays and financial disputes since its announcement. The Madras High Court earlier permitted its release under a monitored financial arrangement, including a dedicated account through Kondaduvom Entertainment and oversight of transactions connected with the movie. Appeals against the release order were later dismissed.Initially announced in 2013 with Suriya, the spy thriller eventually moved forward with Vikram after Suriya’s exit. Gautham Menon directed and produced the project, with Harris Jayaraj composing the music and Ritu Varma, Aishwarya Rajesh and R. Parthiban among the cast. With an investor now identified, the film remains focused on securing its theatrical release. - Veda

Dhruva Natchathiram Release Gets Fresh Push

Vikram Long Delayed Project Finds A New Financier

Prominent Congress leaders including Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, former chief minister K Rosaiah, Labour Minister Danam Nagender, Information Technology Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah, Anakapalle MP Sabbam Hari, Praja Rajyam president K Chiranjeevi and others paid rich floral tributes to the former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao to mark his death anniversary at PVN Ghat at Necklace Road on Thursday.
After paying tributes to the departed leader, the leaders recalled the services of the former prime minister to the nation and state.
They observed silence while religious leaders from led all-religion prayers for peace to the departed soul.
Talking to media persons later, Praja Rajyam Party president K Chiranjeevi recalled PV Narasimha Rao services to financial sector.
&ldquo;The economic and financial reform introduced by the PVN has enabled the country to compete with developed countries in the world,&rdquo; Mr Chiranjeevi said.
He also recalled PVN&rsquo;s services to the state as chief minister and for eradicating Zamindari system in the state and introduction of land reforms. The PRP chief called upon people, particularly the youth to follow the ideals and principles of PVN to come up in life.
The Telugus gained a lot of pride and self-respect during the tenure of PVN, he pointed out.

PV Narasimha Rao remembered on death anniversary

Nothing running bright for Manchu Vishnuvardhan these days, including with &lsquo;Vastaadu Naa Raju&rsquo; which faced initial hurdles title logo release postponement and now censor problems. Starring Taapsee in the lead Censor board has objected and demanded a cut for the overexposing of her belly in the song &lsquo;Sademiya&hellip;&rsquo;
Although this hurdle is only for TV trailers, Vishnu is known to be very confident that his movie will come out clean when it goes for final certification. Of course, exposing of saucy belly has become a regular act for Taapsee which isn&rsquo;t understood by Censor. Now, Vishnu is planning to release this &lsquo;Belly&rsquo; song in Youtube. Can we understand this as an extra publicity stunt by Viranika and Vishnu? What is wrong in &lsquo;Belly&rsquo; dear?

Vishnu upset with Taapsee's Belly!?

Secret Soldier(2026) Movie: What's BehindSecret Soldier directed by Akki Viswanadha Reddy attracted the attention of all, as the film which was titled earlier as China Piece landed in censor problems and went to the EBC Chairman, Ministry of External Affairs etc forcing them to undergo title change. The film is releasing on 18 Sep 2026 and let us see what the film really deals with.Secret Soldier(2026) Movie: Story ReviewSecret Soldier revolves around a youngster who inadvertently lands on the radar of the security agencies and the surprising elements that are connected to him. Indian security agencies find out that the Human Shield for their satellites have been disabled making it vulnerable to the threats of the enemy nations, Pakistan and China.Param(Kamal Kamaraju), is at his wits end and directs his team to find out who was responsible to the breach of the security system. This puts Mariyamvali (Nihal Kodhaty) on their radar. How the security breach is connected to Mariyamvali, what role his friend Prudhvi (Surya Srinivas), security agents Sarah (Harshitha Bandlamuri), Sheetal (Sireesha Nulu), Kanika Kapoor (Deeksha Panth), Bhakthal (Vamshi Nekkanti), Alina Raj (Mariyum),Ashok Mithran (Srikanth Iyengar),Inspector Ranjith Kumar (Abhishek Reddy) and others form the interesting twists.Secret Soldier(2026) Movie: Artists ReviewNihal Kodhaty performed well in his role. He showed variations in his expressions and emotions according to the situation. He made an impact with his performance on the screen.Surya Srinivas is good in the role of his friend. He evoked few laughs in his role initially and later turned into serious mode. Kamal Kamaraju came up with impactful performance.There are many other actors like Harshitha Bandlamuri, Sreesha Nulu, Kamal Kamaraju, Srikanth Iyenger, Srinivas Vadlamani, Vinod Sagar, Deeksha Panth, Raj Tirandasu, Mahesh Achanta, Vamsi Nekkanti who did justice to their roles and helped the story to move forward.Secret Soldier(2026) Movie: Technicians ReviewSecret Soldier story is penned by Akki Viswanadha Reddy. He tried to excite and entertain movie lovers with the espionage thriller. He starts the narration in an interesting and exciting manner, increasing the curiosity levels. But then the friendship elements etc, diluted the intensity and slowed the tempo. The introduction of numerous characters &nbsp;ended up in confusing the viewers. The screenplay turned convoluted with so many characters appearing in no time. The first half ends on a decent note setting the stage for the second half.The second half treads in a similar fashion and after few twists, the film ends in a predictable way. The Illogical scenes and convenient screenplay brought down the intensity levels.The Cinematography of Suresh Ragutu gave the film a rich feel. The screens looked realistic and natural and he used the camera angles and colour combinations to give a believable feel to the proceedings.Karthik Rodriguez's background music elevated the scenes to the next level making viewers glued to the screen. He made an impact with his background music increasing the intensity levels.The editing of Marthad K Venkatesh could have been far better. There are many scenes that turned repetitive and slowed the pace of the narration. Dialogues are adequate and production values are rich.Secret Soldier Movie: Advantages<ul><li>Interesting Premise</li><li>Cinematography</li><li>BGM</li></ul>Secret Soldier Movie: Disadvantages<ul><li>Screenplay</li><li>Confusing Elements</li></ul>Secret Soldier(2026) Movie: Rating AnalysisAltogether, Secret Soldier turns out to be a decent spy thriller. Director Akki Viswanadha Reddy came up with an interesting Premise. However, inclusion of numerous characters, illogical scenes, confusing and convoluted Screenplay undid all his good intentions.Reducing the number of characters, doing away with technological jargons, more detailed narration with racy screenplay would have added more fire power. Considering all these elements, Cinejosh goes with a 1.5 rating to Secret Soldier.

Secret Soldier Review

Happy Journey(2026) Movie: What's BehindHappy Journey directed by Abhiramm Naidu is releasing on 18 Sep 2026. Let us see whether Happy Journey gave happy moments to movie lovers in theatres or not.Happy Journey(2026) Movie: Story ReviewHappy Journey story revolves around group of women from different agegroups going on a trip and the experiences and how it changes their outlook. Savitri (Annapurna), Minister's wife Chamundeswari (Aamani), Nayana (Jinisha Alishetty), Srilatha (Jhansi), her daughter Tanvi (Payal Radhakrishna), Vihana (Roopa Srinivas), Divya (Sunaina Yella) happens to be a part of a free trip to France.How they become part of the free trip, what role travel company organisers Govind (Vamsidhar Goud), Apparao (Ravi Sivateja) played, how the free trip impacts their lives, how it is connected to Tanvi's would be Nikhil (Pruthvi) and others, how they deal with the changes that bring in their lives form the interesting part.Happy Journey(2026) Movie: Artists ReviewAnnapurna who played different roles this time entertained with her lively performance and surprises all donning modern outfits. One should commend her for doing such a bubbly , lively and energetic role at this age. She stands out with her performance in the film. Aamani is good in the role of the minister's wife. Jhanvi evoked few laughs in the role of a miser woman. She also emoted well during the climax. Payal Radhakrishna, Jinisha Alishetty, Roopa Srinivas and Sunaina performed according to their roles. Sunaina however at times became over the board and over dramatic. Vamsidhar Goud and Ravi Siva Teja entertained with their humour to some extent. Muralidhar Goud, Pruthvi Dandamudi and others did justice to their roles.Happy Journey(2026) Movie: Technicians ReviewHappy Journey story is penned by Abhiramm Naidu. He tried to highlight the experiences and problems in the lives of women of different age groups in an entertaining manner. He starts the narration with the introduction of various female characters and then setting them on a France trip. The entire first half sails through in an entertaining and hilarious manner ending on a interesting emotional twist, setting the stage for the second half.Emotions takes the center stage in the second half with few comedy scenes in-between. The emotions of various female characters are highlighted. However, seeing those scenes on the screen, one gets a feeling that the director got stuck up with the 80s problems and melodrama associated with them. But for all his hard work to pierce the hearts of the viewers with emotional scenes pertaining to men and women, misfired completely. The climax emotional scene turned out to be over dramatic and missed the basic emotions. Once the film ends, viewers will heave a sigh of relief after all the emotional torture. The screenplay resembles that of many old films of the 80s and 90s.Subramaniyan Manigandan turned the scenes colorful with his cinematography. He showed the locations of France in a beautiful and visually appealing manner on the screen. &nbsp;Shekar Chandra's songs turned out to be average. However he elevated the scenes with his background music. Editing of Chota K Prasad is ok but could have been better as there are scenes that impacted the pace of the narration. Dialogues are ok. Production values are decent.Happy Journey Movie: Advantages<ul><li>Annapurna</li><li>Few Hilarious Scenes</li><li>Cinematography</li></ul>Happy Journey Movie: Disadvantages<ul><li>Routine Story</li><li>Overdramatic, Artificial Emotions</li></ul>Happy Journey(2026) Movie: Rating AnalysisAltogether, Happy Journey turns out to be routine hilarious entertainer. Director Abhiramm Naidu's story offered nothing new. Though the story turned out to be routine, he ensured that there are many scenes to entertain viewers. He not only tried to entertain viewers with the female actors but also in the end tried to showcase their problems to connect chords with the viewers emotionally. Doing away with over dramatic scenes, toning down the emotions and more entertaining elements and racy screenplay would have added more punch to the final result. Considering all these elements Cinejosh goes with a 2 rating for Happy Journey. &nbsp;

Happy Journey Review

Missing Meghana(2026) Movie: What's BehindRam Karthik, Ammu Abhirami's Missing Meghana directed by Vachaspathy is releasing on 18 Sep 2026. Let us see whether Missing Meghana thrilled movie lovers or not.Missing Meghana(2026) Movie: Story ReviewMissing Meghana story revolves around the mysterious disappearance of a young girl and the incidents that unfold right after that. One fateful day a young girl Meghana (Ammu Abhirami) disappears mysteriously. How she disappeared, what the are circumstances that led to her disappearance, how it is connected to her father Srinivasa Rao (Goparaju Ramana), her fiancé, ACP Arjun (Kaushik), bike rider Karthik (Ram Karthik), Aadya (Vaidkaa Senjaliya), form the twist in the tale.Missing Meghana(2026) Movie: Artists ReviewAmmu Abhirami is good her role. She got limited screen presence and looked cute on the screen. Kaushik is ok in the role of the aggressive cop. Ram Karthik played the role of the youngster who experiences love failure and then getting closer to another girl. He also enacted stunts in the climax.Ankit Koyya is fine in his role. Goparaju Ramana is ok in the role of the father, which is tailor-made for him. Others like Vempa Kasi, Mahipal, Ruchita, Nalini, Srinivas, Shani, Pandu performed according to their roles.Missing Meghana(2026) Movie: Technicians ReviewMissing Meghana story is penned by Vachaspathy. He tried to thrill viewers with a thriller. He starts the narration diving into the main point of the missing girl and then the investigation that follows subsequently. The first half proceeds with the conflict between two cops and the revelation about Meghana and the interrogation of the suspects. The first half ends on an interesting note with few surprising revelations setting the tone for the second half.The second half goes further into murders and drugs etc. The first half included a song to highlight the father-daughter sentiment but it failed to generated the required emotions. The song placement looked odd and out of sync. They could have easily done away with the song.The main villian revelation did not excite anyone as the director failed to keep the viewers engaged with the suspense till the end. Viewers can easily guess the villian even before the end of the first half thus diluting the intensity levels in the second half. Many such films came earlier and the narration dragged with the routine breakup story of Karthik testing the patience of the viewers. The interval twist turns out to be decent and the second half turns little racy. But the predictable elements robbed the viewers of the excitement.Though few scenes in the runup to the finding of Meghana looked good, the weak villian turned out to be the main drawback. The climax ends on a routine note with an action sequence. There are many routine and predictable scenes in the second half as the narration proceeds towards the climax.The cinematography of Sam K Naidu is good. He showed the visuals in an appealing manner. However in few scenes, the color grading &nbsp;is not done at all robbing the viewers of the seamless experience on the screen. RR.Dhruvan's background music failed to make an impact. It is not in sync with the storyline. Re recording and mixing also turned out to be below average. However, the songs he tuned are good and shot well. Basava's editing left a lot to be desired. There are many repetitive scenes and he could have done away with one song completely and also many scenes especially in the first half. Production values are good.Missing Meghana Movie: Advantages<ul><li>Interesting Point</li><li>Few Scenes</li></ul>Missing Meghana Movie: Disadvantages<ul><li>Predictable Elements</li><li>Weak Villian</li></ul>Missing Meghana(2026) Movie: Rating AnalysisAltogether, Missing Meghana turns out to be another run of the mill crime thriller. Director Vachaspathy came up with an interesting point but he failed in his execution. Many predictable elements, repetitive scenes, dragged narration, weak villain ended up testing the patience of the viewers. Little finetuning of the script, racy screenplay, interesting twists, doing away with monotony would have added more substance to the final output. Considering all these aspects, Cinejosh goes with a 1.25 rating for Missing Meghana.

Missing Meghana Review

Panchanama(2026) Web Series: What's BehindStar anchor Udaya Bhanu turned producer and came up with a webseries titled interestingly as Panchanama. The six episode webseries started streaming on Zee5 starting from 11 Sep 2026. Let us find out what the webseries offered to viewers.Panchanama(2026) Web Series: Story ReviewPanchanama revolves around police officer investigating an accidental death and the starting revelations he finds out. Jai Ram (Bharath Srinivasan), a sincere police officer starts investigating the death of Aadi (Charan Babu) and few other orphans. What starts as a routine investigation, becomes bigger with shocking turn of events.What are those shocking turn of events, how it is connected to Dharani (Medha Reddy), Hari (Surya Srinivas), Dr. Pushpavalli (Rupa Lakshmi), Murali (Sivaji Raja) and others from the interesting twists.Panchanama(2026) Web Series: Artists ReviewBharath Srinivasan performed well. He suited the role of the cop and apart from showing the seriousness, he also emoted quite well as per the situation. Female lead Medha Reddy is ok in her role. Balagam fame Rupa Lakshmi performed well in a role with different shades. Surya Srinivas is good in his role. Sivaji Raja in the role of father got limited screen presence but he did justice to his role. Charan Babu, Srija and Radhika Preethi performed well according to their roles.Panchanama(2026) Web Series: Technicians ReviewPanchanama story is penned by Mohan Srivatsa. The webseries comes with 6 episodes, each with a duration of around 25-30 minutes. He tried to thrill viewers with the medical mafia storyline. He managed to generate interest at times however the screenplay turned out to be utterly predictable and bereft of twists. Generally crime thrillers have good following in the OTTs and so Mohan Srivatsa also chose the similar topic.He drew inspiration from Malayalam webseries and followed the same template of a cop investigating the mysterious death and then he exposed the medical mafia. He highlighted the nexus between medical mafia, doctors and organ trafficking. Apart from it, he also highlighted the emotions between brothers and sisters.However, the screenplay assumed predictable trope and the narration lacked the exciting and interesting twists and turns. One can easily predict the villains and the next scenes easily. Even the crime investigation scenes are not shown in an interesting manner. With the unraveling of the villain in the final episode, the webseries ends on a tame note.Naresh Kumaran elevated the scenes with his background music. The cinematography of Sandeep Kanth gave the scenes and proceedings a realistic feel. Editing of Srinivas Bynaboina is ok and could have been better as there are scenes that dragged the pace of the narration. Production values are good.Panchanama Web Series: Advantages<ul><li>Plot</li><li>Few Scenes</li></ul>Panchanama Web Series:Disadvantages<ul><li>Predictable Elements</li><li>Lack of Twists</li></ul>Panchanama(2026) Web Series: Rating AnalysisAltogether, Panchanama turns out to be another run of the mill investigative medical thriller. Director Mohan Srivatsa cameup with a thriller in the backdrop of medical mafia and many such films and series' came earlier. Though the plot is interesting, Mohan Srivasta's screenplay turned predictable with investigation scenes failing to excite viewers. To the top of it, with the villain not getting arrested, viewers feel that the series ended in a incomplete manner as the makers thought of coming with season 2. The forced romantic elements, artificial villianisms, etc robbed the viewers of realistic experience. A little finetuning of the script, racy screenplay, doing away with redundant elements and more thrilling twists would have added value to the proceedings. Considering all these aspects, Cinejosh goes with a 1.5 rating for Panchanama.

Panchanama Web Series Review

Mahendragiri Varahi (2026) Movie: What's BehindSumanth who is known for starring in different genre entertainers is coming to thrill movie lovers with Mahendragiri Varahi. The film directed by Santhosh Jagarlapudi is releasing on 11 September. Excitement is on as the film stars Star Boy Siddhu Jonnalagadda in an important role. The film's OTT rights have been bagged by Amazon Prime and streaming will be after the completion of its theatrical run. Let us see how Mahendragiri Varahi thrilled movie lovers.Mahendragiri Varahi (2026) Movie: Story ReviewMahendragiri Varahi story revolves around the mystic happenings and even more mysterious deaths attributed to the Goddess Varahi and how an atheist tries to find out the real cause. Siddharth (Sumanth), an atheist, tries to expose unscrupulous elements that try to take innocent people for a ride playing on their beliefs and superstitions. He , with his friend Satyam (Vennela Kishore) lands in Mahendragiri region along with his parents and brother (Kamal Kamaraju) to perform a ritual.At that time, they get a huge shock and where this leads to, how it is connected to Aadya (Meenakshi Goswami), Rajendra Varma (Sidhu Jonnalagadda), Malavika Nair (Sujatha), Narendra Varma (Vamsee Chaganti), Vaishnavi (Aishwarya Rajesh) , Doctor (Rajeev Kanakala), temple priest (Brahmanandam) and others and what role &nbsp;Goddess Varahi plays form rest of the developments.Mahendragiri Varahi (2026) Movie: Artists ReviewSumanth came up with a subtle performance. He slipped into the role effortlessly and did what is required of him as it is tailormade for him. He impressed with his expressions and emotions and is good with his dialogue delivery.Vennela Kishore played the role of his friend and he is ok and his role comes with a surprise element. Rajeev Kanakala played the role of the doctor and Brahmanandam is ok in the role of a temple priest. Even Brahmanandam's role comes with a surprise twist like Vennela Kishore role. Meenakshi Gowami is ok in the role of Aadya. She got limited screen presence. Manju Bhargavi is ok and so did Kamal Kamaraju and Vamsee Chaganti in their roles.Siddhu Jonnalagadda, with his cameo, made a powerful presence on the screen. He helped in taking the narration forward and with his dialogue delivery and expressions made an impact. Malavika Nair played a key role of Sidhu's wife and she is ok. Aishwarya Rajesh made her presence felt during the climax.Mahendragiri Varahi (2026) Movie: Technicians ReviewMahendragiri Varahi story is penned by Santossh Jagarlapudi. He tried to thrill viewers with mysterious deaths in the backdrop of a temple and its Goddess. Many such films came earlier and Santossh seems to have drawn inspiration from films like Murari, Karthikeya, Virupaksha and others.He starts the narration on a interesting note but the first half turns out to be roller coaster with the story moving no where after a point of time. But the decent end to the first half, despite the flaws sets the tone for the second half. However second half ends up testing the patience of the viewers the moment flashback episode appears. The scenes turns repetitive as the core point turns out to be simple and seems director lost steam after a point of time. Finally, the film ends in a predictable manner. Screenplay and direction turned out to be pretty average.Junaid Siddique's editing left a lot to be desired. While the first half had few lags but still it turned out to be a decent watch, the second half ended up testing the patience of the viewers with scenes dragging to eternity and the flashback episode making everyone fall asleep. Pratap R Krishna's cinematography is good. He showed the scenes in a natural and realistic way but the CGI ad VFX looked below standard. Anup Rubens background score is in sync with the story. There is nothing much out of box he got to do but he just moved along with the tide. Dialogues are ok. Production values are decent.Mahendragiri Varahi Movie: Advantages<ul><li>Sumanth</li><li>Siddhu Jonnalagadda, Aishwarya Rajesh cameos</li><li>Few Scenes</li></ul>Mahendragiri Varahi Movie: Disadvantages<ul><li>Monotonous Elements</li><li>Lack of Thrills</li></ul>Mahendragiri Varahi (2026) Movie: Rating AnalysisAltogether, Mahendragiri Varahi turns out to be routine spiritual thriller. Sumanth came up with decent performance but he was not required to do anything extraordinary. Director Santossh Jagarlapudi's story assumed similarities to earlier hit films and this robbed viewers of a new experience. However, few scenes surprise viewers and the cameos generate interest. However, weak script and just average screenplay and direction turned spoiled all the good intentions. Little finetuning of the script and racy screenplay would have added value to the final output. Considering all these elements, Cinejosh goes with a 1.5 rating for Mahendragiri Varahi.

Mahendragiri Varahi Review

Epic First Semester(2026) Movie: What's BehindAnand Deverakonda and Vaishnavi Chaitanya are back together after their impressive combination in Baby. This time, they are paired in Epic First Semester, directed by Aditya Haasan. The film carries the curiosity of exploring the journey of a young man who lands in the UK and experiences love, relationships and life away from home. Let us see what surprises Epic First Semester has in store.Epic First Semester(2026) Movie: Story ReviewThe story revolves around Aditya, an aspiring filmmaker who lands in the UK against his wishes because of his parents Chandrashekhar and Rani.An introvert who has hardly interacted with girls suddenly finds himself in a completely new environment. His meeting with Kadali changes his world, and their relationship gradually moves through love, live-in life, emotional confusion, and the realities of a serious relationship.The situations they face and where their relationship finally heads form the rest of the story.Epic First Semester(2026) Movie: Artists ReviewAnand Deverakonda performs well as Aditya. He brings innocence and vulnerability to the character and is particularly good in scenes involving his introverted nature and discomfort in a new environment.Vaishnavi Chaitanya gets a contrasting character and does justice to the role. Her mood swings and emotional changes are handled reasonably well. The chemistry between Anand and Vaishnavi works in several portions, although it does not reach the intensity of their Baby combination.Sivaji and Vasuki have limited scope as Anand's parents but make their presence felt. Srinivas Gavi Reddy gets a few laughs as Manoj. Kalyan Shankar is decent in his role as Sinjith. The remaining actors perform according to their roles.Epic First Semester(2026) Movie: Technicians ReviewAditya Haasan starts the film on an interesting note by taking the character of Aditya into a new phase of his life. The idea of showing what happens when an innocent youngster grows up and lands in a foreign country has potential.The first half has enough lively moments to keep the proceedings moving. The relationship between Aditya and Kadali develops naturally in parts, and the film becomes more engaging once their equation takes a serious turn.The second half is where the film loses some momentum. The relationship discussions, pregnancy fears, marriage and practical problems provide the central conflict, but the film does not always create enough tension around them.Still, unlike a completely routine romantic drama, the film has a few emotionally relatable situations. The conflict may be small, but some of the characters and conversations manage to hold attention. The climax could have been stronger. The open ending is clearly designed to leave scope for the next chapter, but it does not deliver the expected emotional punch.Hesham Abdul Wahab's music is one of the film's positives. The songs are melodious and suit the mood of the story. His background score is also decent. Azeem Mohammad's cinematography gives the film a pleasant look. The UK locations are captured beautifully and add freshness to the proceedings.Navin Nooli's editing is adequate, though some portions could have been trimmed. The dialogues are mostly natural, with a few bold conversations adding flavour. Production values are good.Epic Movie: Advantages<ul><li>Anand Deverakonda's performance</li><li>Vaishnavi Chaitanya's performance</li><li>Music And BGM</li><li>Cinematography</li><li>Some relatable relationship moments</li><li>First half</li></ul>Epic Movie: Disadvantages<ul><li>Slow second half</li><li>Limited conflict</li><li>Repetitive conversations</li><li>Climax</li><li>Emotional impact could have been stronger</li></ul>Epic First Semester(2026) Movie: Rating AnalysisEpic First Semester is a decent attempt at presenting the emotional journey of an introvert youngster experiencing love and relationships in a foreign country.The biggest advantage is that the film does not completely depend on artificial twists or forced drama. Anand and Vaishnavi bring a certain naturalness to their characters, and their chemistry works in several scenes.At the same time, the simple conflict becomes both the strength and weakness of the film. The situations are relatable, but the screenplay sometimes takes too long to move forward. A tighter edit could have made the film considerably more engaging.The film also misses some of the entertainment and emotional intensity that made Baby such a talking point. However, Epic First Semester has enough good moments, decent performances and soothing music to make it a one-time watch for viewers who enjoy relationship dramas.Considering these elements, CineJosh goes with a 2.25 rating for Epic First Semester.

Epic - First Semester Review

Maremma (2026) Movie: What's BehindMaremma directed by Manchala Nagaraj is generating immense interest among movie lovers as it marks the debut of Mass Raja Ravi Teja's nephew Maadhav on the screen. The film is reieasing on 10 Sep 2026. Let us see what impact Maadhav made on debut with Maremma on movie lovers.Maremma (2026) Movie: Story ReviewMaremma story revolves around a youngster who develops a strong bonding with a bison and the surprising happenings involving both of them. Karni (Maadhav Bhupathiraju) raises a calf which becomes a bison(Maari) and he has to perform a ritual. But just before the ritual, startling developments happen. Where this leads to and how it is connected to Manju (Deepa Balu), Jalandhar (Vikas Vasishta), Uttam (Maneesh), occult practitioner (Rupa Lakshmi), form the exciting part.Maremma (2026) Movie: Artists ReviewMaadhav got the tall physique and looks. However on debut despite his best efforts he failed to get his basics right. He failed with his expressions and emotions and looked a complete mismatch. He should hone his skills rigorously and seriously to sustain in the industry.Deepa Balu fared better than him. But her characterisation turned out to be weak and did not offer much scope to show her acting talent. Vinod Kumar as a villager got limited and inconsequential role.Vikas Vasishta is good on the screen. Rupa Lakshmi made an impact with her performance. Others performed according to their roles.Maremma (2026) Movie: Technicians ReviewMaremma story is penned by Manchala Nagaraj. He tried to attract all with an impactful story in the rustic Telangana backdrop. Many films with Telangana backdrop and accent came earlier and Maremma completely failed on all fronts as the story turned out to be weak and script became spineless. The writing and screenplay did not inspire any confidence and direction failed to justice in any manner.With routine and outdated story and despite the claims of based on real life incidents, the film failed to generate interest. There is not a single scene in the film that generated interest among movie lovers. Everything turned out to be a tedious watch. Even the so called comedy scenes looked forced and senseless. The romantic track turned out to be another weak point and the entire second half which revolves around finding the missing bison, is redundant with repetitive scenes testing the patience of the viewers. The pre climax and climax are stretched to the core and finally when the film ended, viewers heave a sigh of relief.Prashanth R. Vihari, Bipradeep Dutta's tunes are just ok. The background score is fine but the substandard story couldn't be elevated by their efforts. The cinematography of Prasanth Ankireddy is below standard, disappointing all. Editing of Sai Babu Talari offered nothing much and he left many scenes unattended. Dialogues are nothing new and production values are below standard.Maremma Movie: Advantages<ul><li>None</li></ul>Maremma Movie: Disadvantages<ul><li>Casting</li><li>Lack of Exciting Elements</li><li>Writing</li></ul>Maremma (2026) Movie: Rating AnalysisAltogether, Maremma turns out to be a disappointing drama in Telangana backdrop. Maadhav's weak performance and director Manchala Nagraj's senseless story, spineless screenplay and outdated script turned the film into a woeful one. No amount of rework would have changed the fate of Maremma. Considering all these elements, Cinejosh goes with a 1.5 rating for Maremma.

Maremma Review

Mandaadi(2026) Movie: What's BehindSoori is coming to entertain movie lovers with his upcoming film Mandaadi helmed by Mathimaran Pugazhendhi. The film is generating interest as Suhaas is making his entry into Kollywood. Mandaadi OTT rights have been bagged by Netflix and streaming will be after the completion of its theatrical run. Let us see what Mandaadi offered to movie lovers.Mandaadi(2026) Movie: Story ReviewMandaadi story revolves around the happenings in the lives of the people of the coastal region who takes it as a prestige on winning in the boat race competition.Muthukaali (Soori) who makes his livelihood working as a lifeguard at a resort in Hyderabad is forced to return to the coastal region of Kalingapatnam. Why he is forced to return to the Kalingapatnam, what is his connection to the boat races and what roles Sattapuli(Suhas), Angel (Mahima Nambiar), Mahesh ( Mithun Jai Shankar), Angel's husband ( Ravindra Vijay), Munayya (Sathyaraj) and others form the interesting developments.Mandaadi(2026) Movie: Artists ReviewSoori performed well in his role. He showed good emotions and body language. He is impressive with his screen presence. He expressed with his eyes at times. Suhas is impactful in his role and he showed fear in a silent manner. He with his body language showed that height does not matter when it comes to performance. Mahima Nambiar is ok in her role. Satyaraj is good in a role pivotal to the film. Ravindra Vijay performed decently in his role. Others performed as per their roles.Mandaadi(2026) Movie: Technicians ReviewMandaadi story is penned by Mathimaran Pugazhendi. He tried to attract viewers with the love, friendship, and betrayal plot in the rustic village backdrop along with the boat racing competitions. The story is interesting to an extent, but the narration and screenplay assumes predictable flavor. The first half treads in a similar manner and second half continues in the same way. This time, Mathimaran elevated the emotions in a more powerful manner.The story turns out to be predictable except for the boat racing episodes. Everything looked routine and the conflict point is not established in a convincing and more powerful way. Drama also did not work and most of the scenes paled on the screen. Even the romantic track did not appeal to all. He left many unanswered questions in the film.GV. Prakash Kumar's music is ok. His background score is good. He elevated the scenes, especially in the boat races with his background music. SR. Kathir's cinematography is good. He showed the rustic village atmosphere quite well on the screen. He also showed the boat races sequences in an effective way. Pradeep Raghav's editing could have been better as there are few scenes that slowed the pace of the narration. Dialogues are ok. Production values are good.Mandaadi Movie: Advantages<ul><li>Performances</li><li>Cinematography</li><li>Boat Races</li></ul>Mandaadi Movie: Disadvantages<ul><li>Predictable Elements</li><li>Missing Conflict</li><li>VFX, CG</li></ul>Mandaadi(2026) Movie: Rating AnalysisAltogether, Mandaadi turns out to be average emotional drama. Soori and Suhaas came up with spirited performances and director Mathimaaran Pugazhendi came up with an interesting plot in the backdrop of boat racing. However, he failed to take it to the next level, turning the scenes into predictable, routine and monotonous. A little finetuning of the script, including more interesting and exciting elements and racy screenplay would have added more fire power. Considering all these aspects, Cinejosh goes with a 2 rating to Mandaadi.

Mandaadi Review

Sardar 2(2026) Movie: What's BehindKarthi's Sardar2 directed by PS.Mithran is releasing today on 10 September amidst huge expectations as the film is the sequel to the hit film Sardar. Let's see whether Sardar2 lived up to the expectations or not.Sardar 2(2026) Movie: Story ReviewSardar2 story continues from where Sardar ended going into the flashback of the spy even as his son tries to unravel the secrets. Inspector Vijay Prakash (Karthi) goes into the further details of his tainted father Sardar Chandra &nbsp;Bose (Karthi) who was branded as a traitor. Where this leads to and how Black Dagger (SJ.Suryah), Indrani (Rajisha Vijayan), and others are connected form the interesting part of the developments.Sardar 2(2026) Movie: Artists ReviewKarthi is impressive with his performance. He did full justice to the dual roles of father and son in his own way. He got the right expressions and emotions and made his presence felt on the screen. However much he tried to elevate the scenes, the writing and characterization didn't offer him much scope to showcase his acting talent.Ashika Ranganath got an inconsequential role. She even failed to come with a decent performance. SJ.Suryah played the role of the antagonist. However he turned extremely loud and irritated the movie lovers. His role also looked extremely outdated.Others like Malavika Mohanan, Rajisha Vijayan, Nassar, Yogi Babu, Nizhagal Ravi didn't get roles that have chance to perform.Sardar 2(2026) Movie: Technicians ReviewSardar2 story is penned by PS. Mithran. The narration starts in an interesting manner and continued in the same way. The narration is good and the screenplay is intact without any deviations.However, the problem lied in the execution. There are many scenes and stunts choreographed looked silly and ridiculous to the core. This turned the spy drama and serious scenes into laughable ones.Things doesn't change even when the director tried to connect chords with the viewers with emotional scenes and the flashback episodes. All the interesting elements in The entire first half failed in the execution and everything turned bland.Many expected the second half to be better and save the day. However much to the disappointment , it turned even worse. The unraveling of the twists in the complex mission looked illogical and are bereft of interesting twists and thrills.The pre climax and climax are stretched to the maximum and it became a painful watch on the screen. None of the scenes excite viewers turning the entire experience into a disappointing affair.Sam.CS has tuned music. The film has no songs and the background music didn't add value to the narration. The background music left a lot to be desired. In fact it looked out of sync and outdated. Altogether it ended up testing the patience of the viewers. The cinematography of George C Williams is good. It turned the scenes appealing on the screen. He however didn't get chance to show his creative talent. Vijay Velukutty failed with his editing. There are many inconsequential scenes that impacted the pace of the narration and ended up testing the patience of the movie lovers. Graphics and CGI, VFX are sub standard. Production values are good.Sardar 2 Movie: Advantages<ul><li>Nothing</li></ul>Sardar 2 Movie: Disadvantages<ul><li>Illogical Scenes</li><li>Outdated Elements</li></ul>Sardar 2(2026) Movie: Rating AnalysisAltogether, Sardar 2 turns out to be illogical sequel to the spy thriller. Karthi came up with sincere performance but director PS.Mithran though came with an interesting story, he failed with his screenplay and direction. He in the name of action elements turned everything into laughable and silly. Emotions turned artificial and the weak characterizations, lack of logical scenes in the spy thriller disappointed everyone. The lack of seriousness in the script undid all the good intentions. Over the top, ridiculous action sequences played the spoil sport. No amount of changes to the script could have changed the result. Considering all these elements, Cinejosh goes with a 1.5 rating for Sardar 2.

 Sardar 2 Review

Sahaa What's BehindSmall film Sahaa-Life of Sanju starring Shiva Kumar Kasaram, Swetha Lakshman, directed by Nishanth Doti, is releasing on 4 Sep 2026. Let us find out what Sahaa-Life of Sanju offers to movie lovers.Sahaa Story ReviewSahaa-Life of Sanju's story revolves around a person and the happenings in his life and how he deals with them. Sanju (Shiva Kumar Kasaram) goes all out to woo a beautiful girl, Sahaa (Swetha Lakshman), ever since his childhood. What are the happenings in their lives, how it impacted their career and future, whether they fell in love, got married, and the other developments, and what role their near and dear ones played should be found out on the screen.Sahaa Artists ReviewShiva Kumar Kasaram played the lead role of Sanju, which is pivotal to the film and the entire story. He did full justice to the role. He showed variations in his body language, mannerisms, and screen presence through different timelines. He carried the film on his shoulders, taking viewers along with him into the narration with his expressions and emotions and captivating dialogue delivery.Swetha Lakhman played the female lead of Sahaa, and she was effective with impactful expressions and emotions. She looked good on the screen and made an impression with her presence. However, at times, she should have come up with a more intense performance.Vrajana Pandya also played a key role in the film, and she helped in carrying the film forward. Others who played key roles also did justice to them, adding value to the narration.Sahaa Technicians ReviewSahaa-Life of Sanju story is penned by Nishanth Doti. He came up with a story to connect chords with the viewers with a romantic emotional entertainer. He got the good concept but failed completely in his execution. He tried to generate interest among viewers by following a non-linear screenplay and narration, showing different timelines to and fro, but interest levels disappear as the entire idea becomes predictable with the passage of time.Despite that, the first half turns out decent, with a few interesting scenes setting the tone for the second half. The second half turns out to be even more routine and most of the scenes get a dragged feeling as the so-called emotions fail to make an impact even in the climax.The editing of Dinesh Peddi lacked crispness. He should have used the editing scissors more effectively. Sehkar Chandra's music is ok but the songs fail to make an impact on the viewers. He however came up with a perfect background score to elevate the scenes and emotions to another level. K.Karunakar's cinematography made the film look good on screen. Production values are good.Sahaa Advantages<ul><li>Shiva Kumar's performance</li><li>Few Scenes&nbsp;</li><li>BGM</li></ul>Sahaa Disadvantages<ul><li>Screenplay</li><li>Missing Emotions</li></ul>Sahaa Rating AnalysisAltogether, Sahaa-Life of Sanju turns out to be another routine emotional entertainer. Director Nishanth got good performances from Shiva Kumar Kasaram and Swetha Lakshman but he failed to do justice to the romantic emotional concept and idea with his screenplay and direction. The slow pace, predictable elements and missing emotions, undid all the good intentions. Considering all these aspects, Cinejosh goes with a 1.25 rating for Sahaa-Life of Sanju.

Sahaa - Life of Sanju Review

What's BehindDulqer Salmaan created a niche for himself doing different genre entertainers. He is now coming to thrill movie lovers with his upcoming film I'M Game. The film is directed by Nahas Hidhayath and teaser and trailer got good response. Dulqer is making his return to Malayalam industry after King of Kotha. Let us see how Dulqer Salmaan thrilled viewers saying I'M Game.Story ReviewI'm Game story revolves around a fearless man who is into gambling believing that he cracked its code and how he reacts in the aftermath of the turbulent things that impact his life.An impulsive gambler Dan John (Dulqer Salmaan) flourishes taking high risks riding on his lady luck. However this comes with shocking and startling happenings in his life. What are those startling happenings and how it is connected to Isha (Kayadu Lohar),Vignesh Vicky Das (Antony Varghese),David (Mysskin) and others from the exciting twists and turns.Artists ReviewI'm Game Hero Dulqer Salmaan is known for his riveting and captivating performances. However this time his performance turned out to be a roller coaster ride. At times he looked terrific on the screen and at other times he looked like a novice. His dialogues had an anglical accent and this may not go well with all viewers. He is good on screen with his body language, dialogue delivery and emotions.Kayadu Lohar is ok in her role. She looked good on the screen but got limited scope to show her acting talent. Antony Varghese Pepe steals the show with his impactful performance. So did Samyukta Viswanathan in her role. Mysskin played the role of the antagonist and his role is too predictable. To over come that he tried to bring in eccentricity but it impacted in a negative way. Vinay Forrt and Kathir were minimised on the screen. Others performed as per their roles.Technicians ReviewI'm Game story is penned by Nihas Hidayath. He came up with an interesting and exciting plot. However the narration and screenplay shifts completely turning the entire thing into a disjointed one. Nihas Hidayath narrated so many things and this makes viewers get accustomed to the happenings and the characters. But Nihas regained his composure and once he dealt with the main story, the narration turns interesting. But there are many scenes and characters that looked forced and out of sync to the story.While the first half after the initial confusion, turns interesting in the run up to the interval and brings an end setting to the exciting second half, the second half sinks even further. There are many unnecessary characters and the flat narration and uninspiring execution played the spoil sport. The flashback episodes undoes all the good intentions. Everything ended up irritating and testing the patience of the viewers.The music and background tuned by Jakes Bejoy turned out to be a disappointing affair. He tried to elevate the scenes that offered nothing new. Jimshi Khalid's cinematography got nothing much to excite . &nbsp;The editing of Chaman Chakko could have been far better as there are scenes that impacted the flow of the narration. Dialogues are ok and production values are grand.Advantages<ul><li>Unique Concept</li></ul>Disadvantages<ul><li>Screenplay</li><li>Confusing Narration&nbsp;</li><li>Cliched Elements&nbsp;</li><li>Listless Characterizations</li></ul>Rating AnalysisAltogether, I'm Game turns out to be average thriller. Dulqer Salmaan should be credited for selecting a different story and Nihas Hidayath came up with a unique plot. However, Nihas completely failed with his screenplay and direction. In trying to include more twists and turns, he introduced numerous characters ending up confusing the viewers. Everything turned flat and he failed to do justice with disappointing execution. A little finetuning of the script, racy screenplay, doing away with predictability could have added more spice to the proceedings. Considering all these aspects, Cinejosh goes with a 1.75 rating for I'm Game.

I'M Game Review

&nbsp;Rambha Oorvasi Menaka(2026) Movie: What's BehindAllari Naresh, on the eve of the Krishnashtami festival, decided to entertain movie lovers with the fictional comedy caper titled Rambha Oorvasi Menaka. The film, directed by Chandra Mohan Chintada, is releasing on 4 September 2026. Amazon Prime has bagged the film's OTT rights. Let us find out how Rambha Oorvasi Menaka entertained movie lovers.Rambha Oorvasi Menaka(2026) Movie: Story ReviewRambha Oorvasi Menaka's story revolves around a youngster who comes into possession of a book with mystical powers and the happenings in his life right after that.Soori ( Allari Naresh) passes time believing that one day he will become a Star Hero with the help of the mystical book, which he believes has powers.Where this leads to, what role Chinni ( Surabhi), SI Appal Naidu ( Shiju), his uncle CEO (Sr Naresh), Parimala ( Srinivas Reddy), and how it is related to Indra ( Vennela Kishore) in heaven, celestial Angels Rambha, Oorvasi, and Menaka form the rest of the narration.Rambha Oorvasi Menaka(2026) Movie: Artists ReviewAllari Naresh is ok with his performance. The role is tailor-made for him, and he needs not do anything unique for the role. His comic timing is intact, and he did well in emotional scenes. Allari Naresh, since his entry, has done silly comedy films and, after a longtime once again did the same.Sr Naresh stole the show with his performance. He made an impact with his dialogue delivery, emotions, and expressions. His screen presence is good, and he entertained with his antics.Vennela Kishore is good in his role as Indra. Vishnu Priya, Prisha Singh, and Rashi Singh are ok in the roles of Rambha, Oorvasi, and Menaka.Rashi Singh got limited screen presence. She didn't get much scope to show her acting talent. Tarak Ponnappa is ok in the role of the antagonist.There are many actors like Kalyani Raj, Shiju, Hari Teja, Goparaju Ramana, Goparaju Vijay, RK.Mama, Rachi Ravi, Ravi Siva Teja, and they got blink-and-miss roles.Rambha Oorvasi Menaka(2026) Movie: Technicians ReviewRambha Oorvasi Menaka story is penned by Chandramohan Chitanda. The story is similar to many old films like Yamaleela and others. Though there is scope to generate comedy, he failed to do so. Though there are a few scenes and youthful dialogues, none of them worked due to cliched scenes and outdated narration.Chota K Prasad's editing left a lot to be desired. There are many scenes that are repetitive, and the predictable plot and weak script made the masters worse.Raam Reddy's cinematography and Chaitan Bharadwaj's music and background score are in sync with the story, and they are extremely outdated.Dialogues have an old flavor, and a few are hilarious. Production values are just average.Rambha Oorvasi Menaka Movie: Advantages<ul><li>Allari Naresh, Srinivas Reddy, Sr Naresh</li><li>Few Hilarious Scenes</li></ul>Rambha Oorvasi Menaka Movie: Disadvantages<ul><li>Predictable Story</li></ul>Rambha Oorvasi Menaka(2026) Movie: Rating AnalysisAltogether, Rambha Oorvasi Menaka is cringe to the core. Allari Naresh tried to return back to the comedy genre, and keeping in view director Chandra Mohan readies the story. But the problem is, Allari Naresh is stuck with the same 90s-era comedy, and the director also didn't try to come out of it. This resulted in a weak story, a silly screenplay, and listless direction. No amount of changes in the script and screenplay will change the output of the film. Considering all these elements, Cinejosh goes with a 2 rating for Rambha Oorvasi Menaka. &nbsp;

Rambha Oorvasi Menaka Review

Model turned actress Deepika Padukone is to get a new feather in her cap as she is all set to share screen space with Big B Amitabh Bachchan. Yes, Deepika will play Amitabh’s daughter in Prakash Jha’s new film ‘Aarakshan.’ 
Reason for Deepika bagging this role is known to be her height and demeanour. This will be Deepika's first with Big B. The film is scheduled to go on floors very soon. ‘I began to flesh out the part, make it more dramatic. That is when I thought of Deepika in the role of Bachchan’s daughter. They are both tall and look quite like father and daughter,’ said director.

Deepika excited for Big B