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Latest OTT Reviews

parasakthi

parasakthi

Movie Name :  Parasakthi
Streaming Date : Feb 07, 2026
Streaming Platform : ZEE5
123telugu.com Rating : 2.5/5
Starring : Sivakarthikeyan, Ravi Mohan, Atharvaa, Sreeleela
Director : Sudha Kongara
Producer : Aakash Baskaran
Music Director : G.V. Prakash
Cinematographer  : Ravi K. Chandran
Editor : Sathish Suriya

Related Links : Trailer

Tamil actor Sivakarthikeyan’s film Parasakthi was released in theatres during the Pongal season and has now made its OTT debut on ZEE5, with a Telugu-dubbed version as well. Here’s our review to find out how it fares.

Story:

After India gains independence, the central government proposes a law to establish a single national language across the country instead of continuing with English introduced by the British. This triggers resistance in Tamil Nadu. Cheliyan (Sivakarthikeyan), a young student leader, opposes the move and leads a protest against Hindi imposition, inspiring many people to join him. To control the situation, the center appoints a special officer, Thiru (Ravi Mohan). The clash between them drives the narrative. How Cheliyan continues the fight to protect his mother tongue, how his brother Chinna Durai (Atharvaa) and his lover Rathnamala (Sreeleela) support him, why he steps away at one point, and why he returns again forms the rest of the story.

Plus Points:

The film connects well with those who have strong respect for their mother tongue. The subject has historical relevance, and director Sudha Kongara’s attempt to present it to today’s audience is decent.

She handles several portions in a balanced manner. Some emotional scenes work well. The Delhi job interview episode featuring Sivakarthikeyan and the following scene are notable. Most of the actors deliver good performances.

Sivakarthikeyan performs very well and is impressive in emotional scenes. Sreeleela gets a good Tamil debut. Her chemistry with Sivakarthikeyan works well, especially in the first half. She also looks graceful on screen. Atharvaa does well in his role. Ravi Mohan shows good intensity as the antagonist. Rana Daggubati’s cameo is fine, while Basil Joseph’s cameo leaves a stronger impact. The supporting cast performs well.

Minus Points:

Though the film has a strong subject, the emotional depth is not as powerful as expected. A few scenes create an impact, but viewers looking for stronger emotional weight may feel slightly disappointed.

Some characters could have been written better. Ravi Mohan’s role needed a more powerful presentation. Rana Daggubati’s cameo creates excitement at entry but is not developed strongly later.

The duet song in the second half feels unnecessary. Some slow-paced scenes affect the flow.

Technical Aspects:

The production values are decent. The period setup and production design are impressive. Cinematography presents the vintage backdrop well. However, the VFX work is weak in parts. GV Prakash Kumar’s music is decent, and the background score works in key scenes. Editing could have been tighter. The Telugu dubbing is good.

Director Sudha Kongara does a decent job, but considering her track record, the impact feels slightly below expectations. Her mark is visible in parts, but the emotional strength in the narration could have been better. Similar to how Dunki felt after Rajkumar Hirani’s earlier strong films, this one feels slightly underwhelming compared to expectations from Sudha Kongara.

Verdict:

On the whole, Parasakthi shines only in a few scenes, despite a sincere performance from Sivakarthikeyan and a good showing from Sreeleela. Some mother-tongue emotional moments are well depicted. However, those who expect a strong emotional drama may feel disappointed. Slow scenes and weak character design affect the film. It is better to watch it with low expectations if you still plan to watch it.

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

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Web Series: Criminal Justice

Release Date : May 29, 2025
123telugu.com Rating : 2.75/5
Starring : Pankaj Tripathi, Mohammed Zeeshan, Surveen Chawla, Asha Negi, Meeta Vashisht, Shweta Basu Prasad, Khushi Bharadwaj, and others
Director : Rohan Sippy
Producers : Sameer Nair, Deepak Segal, Sameer Gogate
Music Director : Sameer Fatehpikar
Cinematographer : Murzy Pagdiwala
Editor :  Gaurav Agarwal

Related Links : Trailer

The previous seasons of the ‘Criminal Justice’ web series received a good response and captivated audiences. Today, ‘Criminal Justice Season 4’ has been released for streaming on Jio Hotstar. However, the makers are streaming only 3 episodes of this season. Check out our review to know how much the latest season impresses the audience.

Story:

Dr. Raj (Mohammed Zeeshan) is separated from his wife, Anju (Surveen Chawla). His daughter Ira (Khushi Bharadwaj) also lives with him. However, Dr. Raj is in an affair with Roshni (Asha Negi), who works as a nurse. Everyone knows about their affair. A day after Ira’s birthday celebrations, Roshni is found dead with her throat slit in Raj’s hands. Raj gets arrested by police. Anju goes to lawyer Madhav Mishra (Pankaj Tripathi) to save her husband. What kind of truths does he find out regarding this case? What things do the police find out in this case? Watch Criminal Justice: Season 4 to unravel the mystery.

Plus Points:

With the craze that the previous seasons enjoyed, the expectations for this season have been quite high. Even in season 4, an investigation into a murder and the suspense related to it continue, and Pankaj Tripathi impresses as the lawyer who solves the case. The latter season, too, features all the elements that are normally seen in crime and suspense thriller series.

Pankaj Tripathi impressed once again as the lawyer who solves the case. His expressions in several key moments were top-notch. The screenplay has succeeded in leaving the audiences immersed in the story and engaging them.

Several interesting twists and turns coming to light in the process of solving the murder case engage the audience. However, with only three episodes being streamed, the audience is left with the curiosity of what will happen next.

Minus Points:

The fact that Jio Hotstar and Criminal Justice makers have dropped only the first three episodes of the fourth season has not gone down well with the audiences. Fans of the show are taking to the internet and questioning the makers about such an abrupt planning.

The director takes his own sweet time in the first episode to get the audiences used to the story. Also, the presence of some boring scenes acts as a major drawback.

Proper care should have been taken when casting an actor of Pankaj Tripathi’s caliber. The director should have explored his screen presence in a much more effective manner. Talented actress Shweta Basu Prasad couldn’t leave a lasting impression due to improper characterization. This shortcoming should be resolved in the upcoming episodes.

Technical Department:

Director Rohan Sippy chooses a good story, and the way he has presented it is quite impressive. However, with only three episodes released so far, fans of the show are eagerly waiting to discover what happens next in the story. The cinematography is good, and the background score is impressive. The editing and Telugu dubbing should have been better.

Verdict:

Criminal Justice: Season 4 is a suspenseful crime thriller that features fine performances by its lead actors. However, the narration in the first three episodes could have been better. While certain elements captivate the audience, the screenplay is not entirely impressive. The first three episodes raise curiosity about how the upcoming episodes will turn out.

123telugu.com Rating: 2.75/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team 

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Anaganaga

Movie Name : Anaganaga

Streaming Date : May 15, 2025
123telugu.com Rating : 3/5
Starring : Sumanth Kumar, Kajal Choudhary, Master Viharsh, Avasarala Srinivas, Anu Hasan, Rakesh Rachakonda, B.V.S. Ravi, Kaumudi Nemani
Director : Sunny Sanjay
Producers : Rakesh Reddy Gadam, Rudra Madireddy
Music Director : Chandu Ravi
Cinematographer : Pavan Pappula
Editor : Venkatesh Chunduru
Related Links : Trailer

Sumanth, known for his meaningful films, is back with another impressive project, Anaganaga. This ETV original movie is now available for streaming on ETV Win. Let’s see how it fares.

Story

Vyas (Sumanth) is a school teacher who dislikes the conventional style of teaching. He advocates for concept-based learning, which his wife, Bhagi (Kajal Chowdary), who is also the principal of the school, strongly opposes. The twist in the tale arises when Vyas’s son Ram and a few other students fail in the exams. The school management is not pleased and decides to fire Vyas from his job. What will Vyas do next? How will he help his son and the other students become toppers? To find out, stream the film on ETV Win.

Plus Points

Anaganaga is a well-made film that critiques the current education system. It effectively showcases how many international schools today focus solely on ranks and grades, neglecting students’ understanding of basic concepts. Director Sunny Sanjay weaves this issue into a compelling father-son and husband-wife conflict, which forms the emotional core of the film.

One of the film’s strongest aspects is the father-son track. The scenes depicting the son torn between his father’s ideals and his mother’s rigid policies are well-executed and quite relatable. The portrayal of husband-wife ego clashes is also handled engagingly. Srinivasa Avasarala, as a strict school teacher, delivers a decent performance.

But it is Sumanth who shines the brightest. Emotional roles seem to come naturally to him, and he once again proves his mettle. From the very first scene, he anchors the film with a deeply felt performance. The moments when he emotes pain over his son’s struggles are especially moving. After Malli Raava, Sumanth again proves that he is a highly underrated actor who deserves more substantial roles. He is excellent in Anaganaga.

Kajal Chowdary, despite being relatively new, makes a solid impression. Her portrayal of a school principal is convincing, and the scenes where she argues with Sumanth are filled with believable drama. The little kid, Viharsh, is also quite impressive as the struggling school kid. sequences revolving around concept-based learning and the production design that supports these themes are very well done. The way the director uses real-life examples to teach life lessons adds authenticity to the narrative.

Minus Points

The core concept of Anaganaga feels somewhat dated. The storyline of a sincere teacher challenging the system to help students excel has been explored in several films before. However, it’s the presentation that sets this film apart.

The pacing is uneven, with the film taking too long to reach its main conflict. Moreover, Anaganaga is quite predictable; the lack of unexpected twists makes the storyline somewhat formulaic.

Additionally, the way Sumanth’s character challenges the school system is not depicted convincingly. His retaliation and the scenes portraying his efforts to bring about change in the education system could have been handled with more depth. His ideas are not conveyed, and the film would have benefited from more scenes exploring his struggle and methods.

Technical Aspects

Chandu Ravi’s music is soothing, and the songs blend seamlessly with the narrative. However, it’s his background score that truly elevates several key moments. Pavan Kumar’s cinematography is impressive, effectively capturing the school setting, middle-class lives, and the nuances of concept-based learning. The film could be trimmed by about ten minutes, as some of the school-related scenes in the first half feel slightly stretched. The production design is top-notch and gives the film a fresh visual appeal.

Coming to director Sunny Sanjay, he delivers a decent effort. While the story is familiar, his strength lies in emotional storytelling and the performances he draws from his lead cast. Sumanth leads the film with grace, and the director makes great use of his calm screen presence and experience. If the scenes depicting the battle against the education system had been written with more conviction, the overall impact of the film would have been even stronger.

Verdict

On the whole, Anaganaga is a well-made social drama filled with heartfelt emotions. Though predictable, the film is elevated by Sumanth’s powerful performance, the moving father-son storyline, and relatable commentary on the education system. It makes for a worthwhile watch on OTT. Give it a shot.

123telugu.com Rating: 3/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team 

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