Movie Name : Bad Boy Karthik
Release Date : April 17, 2026
123telugu.com Rating : 2/5
Starring : Nagashaurya, Vidhi Yadav, Samuthirakani, Naresh, Saikumar, Vennela Kishore and others
Director : Ramesh
Producers : Srinivasa Rao Chintalapudi, Vijaya Kumar Chintalapudi,
Dr. Ashok Kumar Chintalapudi
Music Director : Harris Jayaraj
Cinematographer : Rasool Ellore
Editor : Kotagiri Venkateswara rao
Related Links : Trailer
Bad Boy Karthik is the least promoted film of Naga Shaurya. After many delays, the film has finally hit the big screens, and let’s see how the movie is.
Story:
Karthik (Naga Shaurya) is very fond of his sister Kasturi (Sridevi Vijayakumar), a reputed lawyer in Vizag. As Karthik roams around aimlessly and picks up fights with random goons, Kasturi decides to send him abroad. However, Karthik comes up with a plan to get his visa rejected so that he can stay with his sister.
Meanwhile, Kasturi locks horns with Govindappa (Mime Gopi), a dreaded goon from Kadiri who has affected the lives of many farmers. Enraged by this, Govindappa decides to kill Kasturi, and the rest of the film is about how Karthik saves his sister.
Plus Points:
Naga Shaurya delivers a sincere performance as a brother who goes all out to protect his sister. Even though the writing doesn’t offer much support, the actor does his best to elevate the proceedings. He also looks charming and stylish on screen. Sridevi Vijaykumar performs very well in her role. The interval fight sequence set against the backdrop of the Kadiri Jathara is well-shot and effectively choreographed, featuring massive crowds.
Minus Points:
The concept of ruthless villains trying to establish authority by affecting the lives of poor and innocent people, and the hero stepping in to save them, has been showcased in umpteen Tollywood films so far. Some recent films have also succeeded with this formulaic storyline. Audiences are fine with these done-to-death plot points, but what matters most is how they are presented. Bad Boy Karthik is very weak in this aspect.
From the word go, the film feels heavily outdated in almost every frame. The makers have visibly spent well, but perhaps they should have paid more attention to the writing, too. The farmers’ track lacks any emotional connect and doesn’t evoke much feeling. The screenplay lacks a proper flow and wanders around without much progression.
The love track between the lead pair is both boring and confusing. The film doesn’t even attempt to show when the female lead started having feelings for the hero. The episodes involving Saikumar and his wife try to evoke laughs, but they hardly land.
While the romantic track takes the center stage in the first half and causes boredom, the second half goes on and on with endless action that severely tests the patience levels. The villain characters are routine in nature and don’t have any freshness.
Technical Aspects:
Even Harris Jayaraj disappoints with his songs and background score, further weakening the overall experience. The cinematography by Rasool Ellore is good in some action episodes. The editing is weak, as the film drags on.
Coming to director Ramesh, he has taken up an old-fashioned concept and presented it in an equally old-school manner, making the overall film highly boring.
Verdict:
On the whole, Bad Boy Karthik is an outdated and disappointing action drama, with both halves failing to make any impact. Naga Shaurya and Sridevi Vijayakumar try their best to save this sinking ship, but the actors can’t make much difference when both the storyline and screenplay are weak and lack a contemporary touch. The emotions fail to connect, and the heavy action in the second half turns into a patience-tester. You can skip this film and look for better options.
123telugu.com Rating: 2/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team