Gayatri Bhargavi

OTT Review: D/o Prasad Rao: Kanabadutaledhu – Telugu series on ZEE5

by 123telugu February 28, 2026

Web Series : D/o Prasad Rao: Kanabadutaledhu
Streaming Date : Feb 26, 2026
Streaming Platform : ZEE5
123telugu.com Rating : 2.5/5
Starring : Rajeev Kanakala, Vasanthika ,Uday Bhanu ,Gayatri Bhargavi ,Hima Bindu
Director : Krishna Poluru
Producer : K.V.Sri Ram
Music Director : Sri Ram Maddury
Cinematographer : Ram K Mahesh
Editor : Chandrashekar.G.V

Related Links : Trailer

ZEE5 has now come up with a Telugu crime thriller web show titled D/o Prasad Rao: Kanabadutaledhu. The series stars Rajeev Kanakala, Udaya Bhanu, and Vasanthika in the lead roles. Let’s see how it is.

Story:

Prasad Rao (Rajeev Kanakala), belonging to Chittoor district, runs a grocery store to make a living. He has a daughter named Swathi (Vasanthika), who is the first graduate in their family. Swathi gets a job in Hyderabad, but Prasad Rao initially hesitates to send her. Upon the request of family members and relatives, he finally agrees.

Prasad Rao accompanies his daughter and helps her settle in a hostel in Hyderabad. One month after joining the job, Swathi goes missing, and the news becomes a sensation in the media. Multiple suspects make it challenging for the police to crack the mystery.

Plus Points:

With D/o Prasad Rao: Kanabadutaledhu, the makers tried to address an important issue regarding parenthood and the upbringing of a girl child. Though the message hasn’t been conveyed in the most effective way, it is good that the issue has been addressed, and the series might spark discussions about its theme.

The performances of Rajeev Kanakala, Udaya Bhanu, and Vasanthika are on point. Rajeev Kanakala is a seasoned actor who can portray any role effortlessly. Though his screen time is limited, he makes the most of it and leaves a good impact.

90s fame Vasanthika plays Rajeev Kanakala’s daughter, and she is impressive in her role. The character is a mix of innocence and confidence, and the young actress portrays it neatly. Popular anchor Udaya Bhanu impresses with her strong screen presence. There are some decent moments here and there that are somewhat interesting.

Minus Points:

The antagonist’s character initially feels fierce, but it doesn’t conclude in a compelling manner. A lot was promised in the initial segments of the show, but by the end, the character feels underdeveloped. A few more portions featuring the villain with greater depth and detail would have elevated the show overall.

Major reveals happen in the final episode, one after another, making things feel heavily rushed. Several significant developments occur all of a sudden, and hence, the show doesn’t leave the desired impact.

The investigation portions needed more spark, as they feel quite generic in nature and also lack logic in certain places. There is a dialogue where Udaya Bhanu says the culprits will slip their tongue if they are made to wait for a long time, but surprisingly, she fails to notice the same when the murderer exhibits nervous behaviour.

Technical Aspects:

Ram K Mahesh’s cinematography and Sri Ram Maddury’s background score are neat and sit well with the story. The editing is crisp, and the show mostly moves at a brisk pace. The production values are fine, too.

Director Krishna Poluru picks up a good point, but the narrative isn’t gripping enough to hold the audience’s attention throughout. Apart from a few moments, the show doesn’t work much. More care should have been taken with the investigation portions and the closure of the antagonist’s character.

Verdict:

On the whole, D/o Prasad Rao: Kanabadutaledhu is a well-intended crime thriller with a good message, but it falters in execution. The investigation sequences are not very exciting, and some crucial portions needed more depth to create a stronger impact. Rajeev Kanakala, Vasanthika, and Udaya Bhanu deliver good performances, but the underwhelming storytelling affects the overall impact.

123telugu.com Rating: 2.5/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team

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February 28, 2026

Review : Murder – Just for a few emotions

by 123telugu December 25, 2020

Cast : Krishnaswamy Shrikanth, Sahiti, Gayatri Bhargavi

Directed by : Anand Chandra

Producer :Natti Karuna, Natti Kranthi

Continuing the trend of reviewing shows and films, today, a Telugu film called Murder, which is produced by RGV has hit the big screens. Let’s see how it is

Story

Madhava Rao(Srikanth Iyengar) is a man of principles and holds a respectable position in his hometown. He and his wife, Vanaja(Gayatri Bhargavi) raise their only daughter Namrata(Sahiti) quite well and select a good match. This is the time, Namrata shocks her parents by marrying a guy called Praveen. This angers Madhava Rao big time and he plots to kill Praveen. What did he do and what kind of sequences he faced forms the story.

Plus Points

For a change, RGV has not directed the film and this itself is a big advantage. The film is high on emotions and leading from the front is Srikanth Iyengar. With each film, the noted actor is killing it with his performance. This is his best role to date and the way she showcased love, hatred, guilt, and various emotions were so good to see.

Gayatri Bhargavi also gets a neat role and emoted quite nicely. Her emotions were on point in the film. Sahiti, who played Namrata was just about okay in her role. But the needed effect that was expected from her role was not derived. The anger in which Srikanth Iyengar takes crazy decisions has been shown well by the director. Also, the father and daughter emotional scenes have also been handled well.

Minus Points

We all know that the film is made on a real-life story and a few aspects from the story have gone missing. The director Anand makes scenes a bit overdramatic in a few areas and this spoils the fun most of the time. The narration is also weak and the film mostly favors the father’s perspective.

Also, the climax is quite predictable and does not create much impact. The editing is also not that good as scenes have abrupt endings. Also, the drama and emotions are overdone in many areas which looks fake in the narrative. Also, the makers take a lot of time to establish the main conflict.

Technical Aspects

The technical department does a good job as the production values of the film are pretty good. The camerawork is effective for the most part but is overdone in a few dramatic scenes. Dialogues are good and so was the production design. Coming to the director Anand, he has got his casting on point and also extracts neat performances. But in this process, the main story which is based on a real incident is not narrated as it is and fictionalized making things look predictable.

Verdict

On the whole, Murder is a fairly better film than RGV’s previous duds. Based on the real story, the performances and emotions are big assets. However, dull narration, weak, and predictable climax spoil the viewing experience to an extent. There is nothing new story-wise and can be given a shot as to know how RGV showcased this real-life incident through his production.

123telugu.com Rating : 2.75/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team

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December 25, 2020

Lockdown Review : Metro Kathalu – Telugu film on AHA

by 123telugu August 15, 2020

Release date : Aug 15th, 2020

123telugu.com Rating : 2.25/5

Starring : Gayatri Bhargavi, Rajeev Kanakala, Ram Maddukuri, Nakshatra, Jayasri Rachakonda, Nandini Rai, Ali Reza

Director : Karuna Kumar

Producers : Ram Maddukuri, Kiran Reddy Mandadi

Cinematography : Venkata Prasad

Metro Kathalu is an anthology kind of a film that has multiple stories. It has been promoted a lot and is out now on AHA. Let’s see how it is.

Story :

The film has five stories. In the first story, a modern girl(Nakshatra) responds to her colleague’s(Thiruveer) marriage proposal in a very weird manner. In the second story, a middle-aged woman(Sana) gets physically attracted to a young guy(Ali Reza). In the third story, a fed-up wife,(Nandini Rai) who is away from her husband encounters a health scare. In the last story, a Muslim man(Rajeev Kanakala) always fights with his wife(Gayatri Bhargavi) and disagrees to go to his friend’s house. Why are all these characters behaving in such a way is the whole story of the film.

Plus Points :

In all the various stories, the one which makes a lot of sense is the Nandini Rai episode. It is emotional, has good drama and also a lot of pain which has been showcased well. Nandini Rai is pretty good in her role and performed well in her emotional role.

Rajeev Kanakala does well in his story with a very settled and mature performance. The first story is quite contemporary and is showcased in an interesting manner. The manner in which Nakshatra responds to her proposal is also shown nicely. Ali Reza is okay in his small role.

Minus Points :

The stories are a bit different and have decent backdrops but it is the narration which is disappointing. Except for Nandini Rai and the first story, the rest do no make any sense. It is unclear whether it is called a film or an extended short film where simple stories have been narrated.

The makers rush up things so much that there is no scope for needed drama. Most of all, the Sana and Ali Reza’s block looks bad and has no emotional connection at all. This part is executed in a very bad manner. The title is Metro Kathalu but the city of Hyderabad is not used in any which way.

The stories had a very good scope to be made as a web series and showing them in detail. But the makers have rushed things in such a way that the film does not create any impact on you. The stories are not set up well and their endings are also dull. More clarity and some good drama in detail would have made a lot of sense.

Technical Aspects :

Looks like the film was made on a really low budget and this shows on screen. The production values, setting, and the way scenes are cut abruptly make this film look weird. However, the BGM of the film is really good. Dialogues are good so was the casting.

The film is based on the stories of noted writer Khadeer Babu but director Karuna Kumar does not make use of it well. His direction is jaded and emotions are rushed expect for Nandini Rai’s episode.

Verdict :

On the whole Metro Katalau is an amalgamation of several stories that fail to click. The stories are good but the poor execution and lack of strong emotions, bad production values, and falter in narration make things go down. Except for Nandini Rai’s emotional performance, this film ends a boring and dull watch during this lockdown. Ignore it.

123telugu.com Rating : 2.25/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team

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August 15, 2020