Movie Name : Mareechika
Release Date : May 29, 2026
123telugu.com Rating : 2.25/5
Starring : Viraj Ashwin, Regena Cassandrra, Anupama Parameswaran and Others
Director : Satish Kasetty
Producers : Rajiv Chilaka, Meghhaa Chilakka
Music Director : Ilaiyaraaja
Cinematographer : Arvind Kannabiran
Editor : Junaid Siddiqui
Related Links : Trailer
Mareechika, starring Anupama Parameswaran, Regena Cassandrra, and Viraj Ashwin, has hit the big screens today. Let’s see how the film is.
Story:
Venkatalaxmi (Anupama Parameswaran), a college student, adores Sanju a.k.a. Sanjay (Viraj Ashwin) deeply. He is the son of a corporator, but chooses to stand on his own for self-respect and runs a coffee shop. Venkatalaxmi never confesses her feelings for Sanju, and she makes friends with NRI Mareechika (Regena Cassandrra). To Venkatalaxmi’s shock, Mareechika and Sanju get closer and eventually get married. One day, Mareechika kills Sanju, after which Venkatalaxmi approaches the police. Why did Mareechika kill Sanju? Who is she exactly? What happened next? This forms the crux of the story.
Plus Points:
The director’s vision should be appreciated. He intended to deliver a different film without sticking to the routine beats. Mareechika, at the ideation stage, is on the lines of Mahesh Babu’s One: Nenokkadine. The film blends psychological, romantic, and mystery elements.
The interval block and the final act are engaging. Especially, the sequence during the last few minutes involving Ajay Ghosh, Regina, and Anupama came out pretty well. It generates laughs with Ajay Ghosh’s character getting confused (and so do the viewers). Performances by Regina, Anupama, and Viraj Ashwin are neat. Regena is apt as an NRI woman, while Anupama impresses in an innocent role. Viraj Ashwin looked dapper and played his part well.
Minus Points:
Lately, a common issue with most small-budget films is a good idea paired with underwhelming narration. Unfortunately, Maricheeka also falls into the same league. If the narration doesn’t support the intriguing idea, the whole purpose gets lost. The disappointment becomes greater when a film attempts something new but fails to live up to its potential.
The first half moves at a snail’s pace and also tests the viewers’ patience. The first hour is crucial to the latter half in terms of connecting the dots, but the execution could have been way better. The proceedings simply aren’t engaging.
The second half also starts on a dull note, but it gets better as the film reaches its fag end. In the process of untying the knots, the film creates a certain amount of confusion, but it eventually provides answers. The complicated narration, at times, isn’t the actual problem; rather, the police investigation related to the crime is poorly handled. The cops hardly put in any effort to find out what exactly happened, and this ultimately undoes the good idea the film contains.
Technical Aspects:
Music by Ilaiyaraaja is decent, while the background score works effectively in some crucial moments. Aravind Kannabiran’s cinematography is fine, and the production values are satisfactory. The editing could have been sharper.
Lakshmi Bhupala’s story is interesting, but it wasn’t translated compellingly onto the screen. Only a few moments work in this psychological thriller, while the rest of the portions feel bland.
Verdict:
On the whole, Mareechika is a disappointing psychological thriller that gets lost in translation. The story, with its psychological and mystery elements, had enough substance, but the treatment fails to pack a punch. Regina, Anupama, and Viraj Ashwin did well, but the sluggish narration, poorly handled investigation track, and the overall blandness in the proceedings make Mareechika a dull outing.
123telugu.com Rating: 2.25/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team