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Sri Chidambaram Garu

Sri Chidambaram Garu

Movie Name : Sri Chidambaram Garu

Release Date : Feb 06, 2026
123telugu.com Rating : 2.5/5
Starring : Vamsi Tummala, Sandhya Vasishta, Gopinath, Sivakumar Matta, Kalpalatha Garllapati, Arun Kumar, Tulasi, Naidu Moram, Shankar Rao
Director : Vinay Ratnam
Producers : Chinta Vineesha Reddy, Chinta Gopala Krishna Reddy
Music Director : Chandu Ravi
Cinematographer : Shravan Muppiri
Editor :  Anwar Ali

Related Links : Trailer

Last year, Sri Chakras Entertainments delivered a superhit in the form of KA. The banner has now come up with another film, Sri Chidambaram Garu. Vinay Ratnam directed the film, and debutant Vamsi Tummala played the titular role. Today, Sri Chidambaram Garu hit the big screens, and let’s see how it is.

Story:

Solomon, alias Chidambaram (Vamsi Tummala), lives with his mother in a village near Rajahmundry. He works as a construction laborer to make a living. However, due to a squint in his eye, Chidambaram lives with the constant feeling that people pity him. To avoid being mocked for his flaw, he always wears dark glasses.

Leela (Sandhya Vashishta), a girl from the same village, falls for him after seeing his kind heart. But due to a small misunderstanding, Solomon believes that Leela has rejected him. What decision does he take afterward? How does he regain the confidence he lost? How does he win back his love? This forms part of the crux of the story.

Plus Points:

Despite the film marking his debut, Vamsi Tummala exhibited solid confidence in his portrayal as Solomon. He neatly portrays the emotional turmoil of a person with a physical defect. Sandhya Vashishta is pretty good as Leela, and she nailed her dialogue delivery in the Godavari dialect.

The chemistry between the lead pair works well, and the love scenes between them are engaging. The manner in which the heroine’s emotional struggle for the hero is depicted is also touching. A neat and clean love story like this hasn’t been made in recent times.

The message that the film offers is solid. The idea that “If you don’t love yourself, how can you expect others to love you?” has a good chance to connect with today’s youth. The rural setting and the beauty of the Godavari region are captured beautifully on camera. The visuals are pleasant throughout the film.

Minus Points:

The film moves at a very slow pace, and this is the biggest drawback of Sri Chidambaram Garu. The time taken to build emotional depth feels stretched in several moments. The lack of engaging elements is one more major flaw. Though the love track is clean, unlike many recent films, it remains flat for the most part without any major developments.

The second half could have been shortened for a better impact. Since the movie is entirely character-driven, audiences expecting regular commercial or mass elements may find the film less engaging.

Some elements feel overly simple, while a few come across as slightly silly, which diminishes the overall impact. Because of the straightforward narration, the film feels boring in many instances.

Technical Aspects:

Director Vinay Ratnam has chosen a good core idea, and Sri Chidambaram Garu is no doubt a sincere attempt. Editing could have been sharper, especially in the second half, where a few scenes could have been trimmed.

Though the attempt is sincere, the lack of gripping narration holds the film back. The music suits the film well. Cinematography stands out as a major asset, beautifully capturing the rural visuals and landscapes. Production values are decent.

Verdict:

On the whole, Sri Chidambaram Garu is a sincere attempt, but it doesn’t pack a punch. The director presents themes of self-confidence and self-love that are neatly supported by actors’ performances. Though the message that the film conveys is good, the simple storyline and slow pacing may restrict the film’s overall impact. Hence, it falls short of being an impactful outing despite its good intentions.

123telugu.com Rating: 2.5/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team 

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45-movie

45-movie

Movie Name : 45

Release Date : Jan 01, 2026
123telugu.com Rating : 2.5/5
Starring : Shiva Rajkumar, Upendra, Raj B. Shetty, Kaustubha Mani, Jisshu Sengupta & Others
Director : Arjun Janya
Producer : M. Ramesh Reddy
Music Director : Arjun Janya
Cinematographer : Satya Hegde
Editor :  K. M. Prakash

Related Links : Trailer

Kannada stars Shiva Rajkumar, Upendra, and Raj B. Shetty headline the fantasy action drama 45. Following its Kannada theatrical release in December 2025, the Telugu version has now arrived in cinemas as a New Year special. Here’s how the film fares.

Story:

Vinay (Raj B. Shetty) is a software employee who dreams of being killed in a bike accident after hitting a dog. Soon, parts of the dream begin to turn real. The dog, Rossy, belongs to Rayappa (Upendra), a feared don who treats it like his mother. Holding Vinay responsible for its death, Rayappa brutally attacks him and declares that he will be killed in 45 days. As Vinay starts counting his days, his life slowly falls apart. He loses his job, girlfriend, and friends, leaving him shaken and helpless. At this point, a calm and philanthropic man named Shiva (Shiva Rajkumar) enters his life and tries to guide him. Who Shiva really is, why he wants to help Vinay, and whether Rayappa spares or kills him form the rest of the story.

Plus Points:

It’s a big win for Arjun Janya, music director who made his directing debut, and convincing three stars of Kannada to act in a movie. All the characters are neatly designed.

Raj B Shetty gives a settled performance and he lives the role with audacity. The fear of death and the follow up events are well expressed through his performance.

Upendra turns a baddie for this movie, and his stylish looks and fights work well with his fans. Finally, Shiva Rajkumar, who enters in the second half, delivers a cool performance.

The initial portions are neatly arranged and executed, keeping once invested to see what will go on next. The climax fight where the different forms of god appear and fight with Upendra are well shown and it is the best part to look out in the entire movie.

Minus Points:

The film opens well and the set up makes one feel that something is planned big. But, the momentum slowly disappears and the story moves like a snail with dull scenes that sometimes feel repetitive. If we think that this is only limited to first half, it’s not. The second half, which one thinks that the real game begins, is same until the climax comes in.

It is great convincing three stars to act in a movie but at the same time, the director could have written better character arcs for them. Of course, It is the problem with the story. It is nothing impressive after all few minutes of beginning and the raciness slowly fades away to move at snail pace.

Shiva Rajkumar does his part, but the comedy scenes designed with him doesn’t land well and they feel like fillers that intervene in the seriously driven plot, only to nullify the watching experience. Upendra is okay but all his scenes are like ‘come, fight, give warning and leave’ type. The same style repeated for multiple times and it gives boredom to one watching.

The entire story is to tell the karma concept in a modern form. It is fine to tell so, but the lack of proper emotional support and strong scenes to build the momentum made it an understatement. A better writing and screenplay could have done magic.

No other characters have strong value and even mother’s emotion that became a hook point during interval was left behind after the interval. There are such many disjointed scenes in this movie.

Technical Aspects:

Arjun Janya thought of to present the karmic themes differently but his pale writing and underdeveloped characters limited his ambition. Technically, the movie is rich in money. The makers spend very huge on VFX but, it looks underwhelming on big screen. Climax is something okay not great. Background score done by the director himself is unnecessarily loud and fits only in some portions. Editing by K M Prakash is totally upsetting. It has a lot of room for trimming unnecessary and laggy scenes in both halves and thus the runtime could have been shortened. Production values are just fine.

Verdict:

On the whole, 45 is a mediocre outing despite having an ambitious story to tell. The poor writing and screenplay limited its appeal to viewers. Though the performances of the lead actors are acceptable, the limiting of their characters being better, and unnecessary scenes along with lag, made the fantasy drama feel underwhelming. Except the climax scene, there is no worthy scene to watch out for. It is better to look out for other alternative movies to spend this New Year eve.

123telugu.com Rating: 2.5/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team 

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Champion

Champion

Movie Name : Champion

Release Date : Dec 25, 2025
123telugu.com Rating : 3/5
Starring : Roshan Meka, Anaswara Rajan, Nandamuri Kalyan Chakravarthy and others
Director : Pradeep Advaitham
Producers : Priyanka Dutt, GK Mohan, Gemini Kiran
Music Director : Mickey J Meyer
Cinematographer : Madhie ISC
Editor :  Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao

Related Links : Trailer

Champion marks Roshan Meka’s return to the big screen after a four-year hiatus. The film also introduces Malayali actress Anaswara Rajan to Telugu cinema. Directed by Pradeep Advaitham, this period war action drama arrives with the backing of Swapna Cinema and considerable expectations. It hits big screens today and here is how the film fares.

Story:

Set in post-Independence India, Michael C. Williams (Roshan Meka) is a talented and sharp-minded footballer playing for the Secunderabad Blues. When a Manchester club manager offers him a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play in London, Michael takes a calculated risk and agrees to transport guns, ensuring the chance does not slip away. During the operation, he unknowingly enters Bhairanpally, a village resisting the Razakars and their allies, intending to move on once his task is complete. However, close exposure to the villagers’ struggle forces him to reassess his priorities. How an ambitious man determined to leave the country ultimately chooses to fight for his land and people forms the crux of the story.

Plus Points:

Roshan Meka delivers an impressive performance and looks convincing in a rugged, manly avatar. His screen presence, expressions, and dialogue delivery work strongly in his favour. He shows noticeable maturity as a performer and carries the film confidently on his shoulders.

Anaswara Rajan makes a promising Telugu debut. Despite limited screen time, she leaves a strong impact with her natural performance. The understated romance between the leads is handled neatly and feels emotionally honest.

The idea of blending football with a war drama is refreshing. The makers skillfully integrate the sport into the narrative without making it feel forced. The mix of historical backdrop and fictional elements works well for the most part.

The war sequences, especially the interval block and the pre-climax, are well executed and benefit greatly from strong production values and effective cinematography. The emotional moments land reasonably well, aided by well-placed songs that add depth to the narrative.

The supporting cast, including Nandamuri Kalyan Chakravarthy and Rachcha Ravi, performs effectively. Most characters serve a purpose in the story and do not feel included merely for namesake.

Minus Points:

The major drawback lies in the handling of history. Since real names are used, viewers familiar with the actual events may find certain creative liberties difficult to accept. While the makers do not alter history outright, inserting a fictional protagonist into real incidents may not resonate with those who are aware of the suffering endured during that period.

The CG work is another weak point. Despite the scale and budget, the visual effects, particularly during war sequences, appear underwhelming and slightly disrupt the viewing experience.

Emotions play a crucial role in films of this genre. Although the film contains emotional moments, the portrayal of pain and struggle could have been more impactful.

Several supporting characters, including those played by Naresh, Laxman Meesala, Vennela Kishore, and Ravindra Vijay, feel underutilized, with limited scope to explore their full potential.

Technical Aspects:

Pradeep Advaitham takes on a challenging subject in his feature debut and handles it competently. His writing is structured, and the concept of merging sports with a freedom struggle is commendable, though a stronger emotional grip could have elevated the film further.

Mickey J. Meyer’s background score supports the narrative effectively, while the songs are well composed and placed. R. Madhi’s cinematography stands out, capturing the period setting with striking visuals. Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao’s editing keeps the film mostly engaging without unnecessary lag. The production design and art department deserve appreciation for recreating the era convincingly.

Verdict:

On the whole, Champion is a sincere period war drama that blends sports with history in an engaging manner. Roshan Meka impresses with a confident performance, and Anaswara Rajan makes a solid Telugu debut. While the film takes certain historical liberties and falters in emotional depth at places, its strong performances, technical finesse, and rich production values make it a watchable theatrical experience.

123telugu.com Rating: 3/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team 

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