Aishwarya Rajesh

Review: Mahendragiri Varahi – Has Its Moments

by 123telugu September 12, 2026

Movie Name : Mahendragiri Varahi

Release Date : September 11, 2026
123telugu.com Rating : 2.75/5
Starring : Sumanth, Meenakshi Goswami, Aishwarya Rajesh, Siddu Jonnalagadda, Malvika Nair, Manju Bhargavi, Brahmanandam, Rajeev Kanakala, Vennela Kishore, Vamsee Chaganti, Kamal Kamaraju, Srinivas Vadlamani & others
Director : Santhosh Jagarlapudi
Producers : Madhu Kalipu, Laxman
Music Director : Anup Rubens
Cinematographer : Pratap R Krishna
Editor : Junaid Siddiqui

Related Links : Trailer

Sumanth has now come up with the mystery thriller Mahendragiri Varahi. The movie directed by Santhossh Jagarlapudi features Siddhu Jonnalagadda in a cameo. Let’s see how the film is

Story:

A curse by Goddess Varahi haunts the Mahendragiri dynasty, as all the men belonging to it die at the age of 33. The curse continues over generations, despite the dynasty’s efforts to please the goddess. Siddharth (Sumanth), a YouTuber from Hyderabad, gets connected to the problem and takes up the challenge of finding out the mystery behind the deaths.

Plus points:

The film starts on a good note, offering intrigue with the deaths. Siddhu Jonnalagadda shines in a key cameo. Despite the limited screentime, he makes his presence felt and lays a good foundation for what’s to come. The interval portion once again raises curiosity with an unexpected moment.

Sumanth is sincere as a YouTuber who exposes scams and fraudulent deeds committed by a few. From the moment he starts investigating the deaths of the Mahendragiri dynasty men, his role becomes more interesting.

The pre-climax and climax portions are neatly handled, giving the film a neat conclusion. The way the twists are written and their unpredictable nature are impressive. Vamsi Chaganti, Brahmanandam, and Vennela Kishore are good in supporting roles. Meenakshi Goswami is fine too.

Minus Points:

While the director did a good job designing the twists and giving the backstory an emotional touch, he missed out on a few logical aspects. The divine intervention happens only towards the end and not before that. One wonders why the divine intervention didn’t happen earlier despite so much chaos. There is no clarification offered about this and it comes across as convenient writing.

A mystery thriller like this needs to have good technical values, and Mahendragiri Varahi struggles to deliver on this front. The VFX is not up to the mark, and the use of AI makes the experience a bit irritating. The revelation of Aishwarya Rajesh’s role in the promotional assets reduces the impact on the big screen.

The middle portions could have been handled much better, and the film could have done away with a few scenes. The basic premise of Mahendragiri Varahi is along the lines of Murari, and viewers at times may be reminded of that film, though the path chosen is different.

Technical Aspects:

Background score by Anup Rubens is okay, while the cinematography by Pratap R Krishna is decent. The editing needed more precision.

Director Santhossh Jagarlapudi sticks to the plot without unnecessary deviations like romantic tracks and handles some portions neatly. However, he should have taken more care regarding the technical output and logic.

Verdict :

On the whole, Mahendragiri Varahi is a mystery thriller that has its moments. The beginning, interval, and climax portions are neatly handled, and the twists are written well. However, the film misses out on the logical aspect and technical finesse. The middle portions aren’t effective, making the film an okay watch.

123telugu.com Rating: 2.75/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

Click Here For Telugu Review

September 12, 2026

Review: Oh..! Sukumari – Works only in bits and pieces

by 123telugu July 18, 2026

Movie Name : Oh Sukumari

Release Date : July 17, 2026

123telugu.com Rating : 2.5/5
Starring : Thiruveer, Aishwarya Rajesh & Others
Director : Bharat Dharshan
Producers : Maheshwara Reddy Mooli
Music Director : Bharath Manchiraju
Cinematographer : CH Kushendar
Editor : Sree Varaprasad

Related Links : Trailer

Thiruveer and Aishwarya Rajesh team up for the first time in Oh..! Sukumari. The film has hit the big screens today. Let’s see how it fares.

Story:

Narala Yadagiri (Thiruveer), an aspiring politician, learns that he will inherit his grandfather’s Rs. 80 crore property, but only if he fulfills a condition. He instantly falls for Daamini (Aishwarya Rajesh) and proposes marriage. Surprisingly, the entire village, which fears Daamini, does everything possible to ensure the wedding happens. However, a shocking truth is revealed on their wedding night. What is it? Why is the village afraid of Daamini? Does Yadagiri inherit the property? The rest of the film unfolds the answers.

Plus Points:

After delivering a terrific performance in Sankranthiki Vasthunnam, Aishwarya Rajesh takes on this role and delivers a sincere performance. She maintains good energy throughout and carries her character with ease.

Thiruveer is decent in the lead role. His scenes with Aishwarya Rajesh, particularly after the major twist unfolds, provide some light-hearted entertainment and generate a few laughs.

The film has its share of enjoyable moments, while the supporting cast performs their roles competently.

Minus Points:

The film’s biggest drawback is its predictability. The core twist is largely revealed through the promotional material, leaving the responsibility on writer-director Bharath Dharshan to keep the narrative engaging. Unfortunately, he fails to do so.

The first half relies heavily on outdated and silly comedy, with only a few scenes managing to entertain. The second half, which begins after the central twist, had the potential to explore the conflict with engaging drama and emotional depth. Instead, it follows a routine and predictable path, offering little emotional payoff or narrative momentum. As a result, the film gradually loses steam.

Although Aishwarya Rajesh and Thiruveer perform their roles well, their characters are underwritten and never leave a lasting impact. Also, Aishwarya Rajesh’s repeated use of the word “uchchu” feels irritating after a point. Supporting characters played by Aamani and Anand have better scope but are underutilized. The family drama also lacks the emotional weight needed to make the conflict resonate.

Comedy, which appears to be the film’s biggest selling point on paper, turns out to be inconsistent. Only a handful of jokes work, while most of the humour falls flat. Several performances also come across as unnecessarily loud and exaggerated rather than naturally funny. The songs fail to leave an impression and are easily forgettable.

Technical Aspects:

Writer-director Bharath Dharshan fails to convert a predictable premise into an engaging entertainer. Weak writing, an outdated narrative style, and an uninspired screenplay prevent the film from making a strong impact.

Ch. Kushendar’s cinematography is serviceable. Bharat Manchiraju’s music works in parts but isn’t memorable. Sree Varaprasad’s editing is below par, and a tighter cut would have considerably improved the pacing. The production values are decent.

Verdict:

On the whole, Oh…! Sukumari is a mediocre comedy-drama that struggles to make the most of its premise despite having capable performers like Thiruveer and Aishwarya Rajesh in the lead. While it offers a few entertaining moments, the comedy works only occasionally, the drama lacks emotional depth, and the predictable narrative prevents it from becoming engaging. Despite a handful of laughs, the film ultimately ends up as a below-par affair.

123telugu.com Rating: 2.5/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

Click Here For Telugu Review

July 18, 2026

OTT Review: Isakapatnam – Telugu web series on Prime Video

by 123telugu July 2, 2026

Web Series Name : Isakapatnam
Streaming Date : July 2, 2026
Streaming Platform : Prime Video
123telugu.com Rating : 2.75/5
Starring : Samuthirakani, Aishwarya Rajesh, Sunil, Naresh Agastya, Merin Philip and others
Director : Garry BH
Producers : Rahul Tamada, Saideep Reddy Borra
Music Director : Praveen Lakkaraju
Cinematographer : Vamsi Patchipulusu
Editor : Garry BH

Related Links : Trailer

Prime Video has now come up with a Telugu web series, Isakapatnam, headlined by Aishwarya Rajesh. Directed by Garry BH, the show also features Samuthirakani, Naresh Agastya, Sunil, and others in key roles. Let’s see how the series is.

Story:

Set against the backdrop of Isakapatnam, a port city, the series revolves around the quest for power. Mr. Naidu (Samuthirakani) arrives in Isakapatnam as a nobody but soon establishes himself as the monarch by killing Chinnarao (Rajeev Kanakala). Mr. Naidu enjoys the support of political leaders and the police department, but his daughter Bharathi (Aishwarya Rajesh) doesn’t approve of his actions. Meanwhile, his rival Prathap Varma (Ravi Varma) keeps trying to bring him down, and Naidu devises a strategy to counter him, leading to a series of intergroup conflicts, chaos, and ultimately, bloodshed.

Plus Points:

The series features very good performances from Samuthirakani, Aishwarya Rajesh, Naresh Agastya, Jwala Koti, and Sudhakar Komakula. Though the writing doesn’t quite live up to the show’s ambitions, the performances make the series watchable to an extent.

Samuthirakani is solid as a man constantly hungry for power and dominance, while Aishwarya Rajesh is fine in a dual-shaded role. Naresh Agastya delivers a promising performance as a man striving to rise above his circumstances, while Jwala Koti, Banerjee, Sudhakar, and Raja Chembolu are apt in their respective roles.

Minus Points:

Race for power and the battle for dominance are themes that have been explored in umpteen films lately. Hence, something special must be brought to the table to make the series stand out, but Isakapatnam falters in this regard.

The pacing is maintained decently, but the screenplay doesn’t feature the required high moments and flashy sequences to hold the attention throughout. The much-needed tension is missing in the proceedings. There are some decent moments, but they are short-lived. The world of Isakapatnam is dark and has the scope of being an intense gangster drama, but the writing simply doesn’t deliver.

Most characters are grey-shaded but they aren’t developed properly and appear one-note beyond a point lacking excitement. The death of key characters aren’t handled effectively as the scenes leading to them aren’t strong enough to carry the impact. The twist reveal in the climax doesn’t pack a punch with the narrative already giving hint about it.

The threat to Samuthirakani’s character isn’t showcased properly, and hence the stakes remain low. Sunil is wasted in a poorly written role. The love track of Aishwarya Rajesh and the family dynamic of Naresh Agastya’s character both lack depth.

Technical Aspects:

Pravin Lakkaraju’s music is passable. Vamsi Patchipulusu’s cinematography is neat, capturing the series’ dark tone effectively. The production design is well executed, authentically recreating the 1980s setting. The editing is fine, and the production values are pretty good.

Direction by Garry BH could have been much better. The screenplay needed stronger scenes to do justice to the series backdrop and its dark world powered by war for supremacy. The premise had potential, but the presentation isn’t impressive.

Verdict:

On the whole, Isakapatnam is a so-so gangster action drama set in a gritty world. The series features good performances from Samuthirakani, Aishwarya Rajesh, and others, and the premise gives scope for intense storytelling. However, the absence of strongly written scenes, poorly etched characters, and the lack of tension in the proceedings keep it from being fully engaging. There are some decent moments, but they are short-lived.

123telugu.com Rating: 2.75/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

Click Here For Telugu Review

July 2, 2026

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