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KD-The-Devil

KD-The-Devil

Movie Name : KD The Devil

Release Date : May 15, 2026
123telugu.com Rating : 2.25/5
Starring : Dhruva Sarja, Reeshma Nanaiah, Sanjay Dutt, Shilpa Shetty, Ramesh Aravind, Ravi Shankar
Director : Prem
Producers : Venkat K. Narayana
Music Director : Arjun Janya
Cinematographer : William David
Editor : Sanketh Achar
Related Links : Trailer

Kannada ‘Action Prince’ Dhruva Sarja returns with KD: The Devil, a PAN-India project mounted on a massive budget. Directed by Prem, the Telugu version of the film is now out in theatres. Let’s see how it actually plays out on the big screen.

Story:

Set in the 1980s, the story revolves around Deva (Sanjay Dutt), an underworld don also known as Doc Deva. He is so ruthless that even the Bengaluru police fear him, and no man dares to stand in his way. Enter Kali alias Kalidasa, or KD (Dhruva Sarja), an innocent but stubborn guy who happens to be Deva’s biggest fan. KD struggles with his studies, prompting his elder brother Dharma (Ramesh Aravind), a teacher, to stop talking to him. Despite this, KD loves his brother deeply.

Things take a dark turn when Deva attempts to murder Dharma’s family. What pushes KD to turn against his idol? Who is the mysterious rival don Bhairava? And what oath does Deva’s wife, Satya (Shilpa Shetty), take? The rest of the movie answers these questions.

Plus Points:

Even though Dhruva Sarja is the main lead, Sanjay Dutt is the major attraction here. The director presents him brilliantly. The action sequences and mass scenes designed for Dutt offer some respite.

Dhruva Sarja performs well in the role of an innocent, headstrong youngster, showing improvement over his previous film, Martin. Shilpa Shetty gets limited screen time, but she lands a solid, impactful role. Ramesh Aravind looks naturally young and delivers a dependable performance as the elder brother. Kichcha Sudeep’s climax cameo leaves a decent impression, adding to the film’s few redeeming mass moments.

Minus Points:

At its core, KD: The Devil is yet another Kannada action drama weighed down by extreme melodrama and unnecessary hero elevations. The plot feels routine, relying heavily on a standard mafia backdrop and logicless sequences.

The romantic track is easily the most frustrating part of the film. While Dhruva is fine in his solo scenes, his interactions with the heroine are highly annoying. The heroine’s character is written as hyperactive and loud, which quickly irritates the audience.

The film also struggles with pacing and character consistency. The climax twist might seem okay for a brief minute, but Dharma’s sudden shift, from a calm, honest man to someone who turns against his own brother for love, lacks basic logic. On top of that, the heavy use of the Pushpa 2 background score feels out of place. Finally, missing Ravi Shankar’s original voice in the Telugu version is a noticeable letdown.

Technical Aspects:

KVN Productions spent big on this film, and the grand sets clearly show off those high production values. However, the visual effects look weak in several places. Arjun Janya’s music is passable, but borrowing the Pushpa score was a bad move. The song placements feel forced and disrupt the flow. The editing needs serious work. Trimming the hero-heroine track would have made a huge difference.

Director Prem’s execution is below par. He initially sets up Sanjay Dutt’s character and builds decent tension right before the interval. Unfortunately, he doesn’t carry that momentum into the second half. Outside of a few solid action blocks, he relies too much on over-the-top drama rather than an engaging narrative.

Verdict:

Overall, KD: The Devil ends up as a disappointing action drama. While very few mass sequences featuring Sanjay Dutt and Dhruva Sarja work decently, the movie turns boring with over-the-top heroic elevations and a frustrating romantic track. The story had potential, but the execution isn’t good. You can skip this film.

123telugu.com Rating: 2.25/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

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Raja Shivaji

Movie Name : Raja Shivaji

Release Date : May 1, 2026
123telugu.com Rating : 2.75/5
Starring : Riteish Deshmukh, Genelia Deshmukh, Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Bhagyashree, Vidya Balan
Director : Riteish Deshmukh
Producers : Genelia Deshmukh, Jyoti Deshpande
Music Director : Ajay-Atul
Cinematographer : Santosh Sivan
Editor :  Urvashi Saxena

Related Links : Trailer

Riteish Deshmukh’s highly anticipated directorial venture, Raja Shivaji, hit the screens today. Based on the life of the legendary Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the film features a massive star cast. Let’s see how this grand historical action drama holds up.

Story:

The film traces Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s (Riteish Deshmukh) relentless fight to establish Swarajya. It focuses on the guerrilla warfare tactics he used to counter the Mughal Empire and the Adil Shahi forces. Later, the narrative builds toward the legendary battle against Afzal Khan (Sanjay Dutt), which forms the core of the drama.

Plus Points:

Riteish Deshmukh breathes life into the role of Shivaji Maharaj. His commanding screen presence and strong dialogue delivery drive the movie forward. At the same time, Sanjay Dutt brings a terrifying edge to the cruel Afzal Khan. Bhagyashree also leaves a mark with her dignified performance as Jijabai.

Santosh Sivan’s cinematography is a major asset. Every frame looks stunning, elevating the massive scale of the production. Ajay-Atul’s background score hits the right notes, especially during the war scenes, where it gives you goosebumps. The action sequences look incredibly real, and the highly anticipated Afzal Khan episode stands out as the best part of the second half.

Minus Points:

The biggest hurdle for the film is its lengthy runtime. Clocking in at over three hours, the movie feels a bit heavy to sit through.

While the first half moves at a good pace, the second half slows down significantly, breaking the emotional flow.

Since the movie was originally shot in Marathi, the dubbing issues are clearly visible in other languages. Some scenes retain Marathi dialogues, which might disconnect regular viewers who aren’t familiar with the language.

Technical Aspects:

As a director, Riteish Deshmukh completely succeeds in bringing his grand vision to the big screen. He handles the massive scale without making major mistakes.

Genelia’s production values are top-notch, giving the film a premium feel. However, editor Urvashi Saxena could have chopped off several slow scenes in the second half to keep things crisp. Finally, the background music by Ajay-Atul pushes the entire film to another level.

Verdict:

On the whole, Raja Shivaji is a mildly engaging historical action drama backed by grand visuals. Riteish Deshmukh’s performance and Santosh Sivan’s cinematography stand out. However, the slow narration and excessive runtime weigh the film down. There are some good moments, but ultimately it falls short of being an epic, and ends up as a below-par watch.

123telugu.com Rating: 2.75/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team 

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Dhurandhar 2

Dhurandhar 2

Movie Name : Dhurandhar The Revenge

Release Date : Mar 19, 2026
123telugu.com Rating : 3.75/5
Starring : Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun
Director : Aditya Dhar
Producers : Aditya Dhar, Jyoti Deshpande, Lokesh Dhar
Music Director : Shashwat Sachdev
Cinematographer : Vikash Nowlakha
Editor :  Shivkumar V. Panicker

Related Links : Trailer

Ranveer Singh and Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar arrived with decent buzz, but later it went on to script history. After the path-breaking success of Part 1, the franchise has grown into a movement in Indian cinema. Dhurandhar: The Revenge has now stormed cinemas amid a mind-blowing fan frenzy. Let’s see how this much-anticipated Bollywood sequel is.

Story:

After the death of Rehman Dakait (Akshaye Khanna), situations escalate heavily in Lyari. Hamza Ali Mazari a.k.a Jaskirat Singh Rangi (Ranveer Singh) makes Uzair Baloch (Danish Pandor) believe that SP Chaudhary Aslam (Sanjay Dutt) and Arshad Pappu (Ashwin Dar) plotted Rehman’s death. Uzair kills Arshad Pappu, but due to unexpected turns of events, Hamza ends up taking control of Lyari. What follows next, and the story behind Hamza’s past forms the crux of Dhurandhar 2.

Plus Points:

If you have even the slightest worry about the 4-hour runtime, think no further. Because Aditya Dhar’s direction grabs our attention and hooks us throughout the runtime. Forget three hours, lately, films are failing to hold our attention even for two hours, and here is Dhar who makes us sit through all 229 minutes with ease. Dhar casts a magic spell on us, and his brilliance stays in our minds long after we leave the cinema. He is undoubtedly a rare jewel in Indian cinema.

Dhurandhar 2 is a well-packaged entertainer that is both earthy and massy at the same time. Compared to the first installment, this one has more crowd-pleasing moments, which further enhance its reach across every nook and corner of the country.

The drama, action, twists, emotions, and performances are fabulous, to say the least. There are certain twists that none can see coming, and when they arrive, all we can do is sit back and applaud the vision of the director. The patriotism is evoked in a subtle yet powerful manner, and some scenes will bring the house down.

After watching Dhurandhar 2, it’s tough not to become an admirer of Ranveer Singh. While he played his part with restraint in the first chapter, this one gives scope for him to go all out, and he brings his A-game with his towering screen presence and flawless performance that goes down in the history books. His emotional side and vulnerability are also perfectly showcased, giving the character a perfect ending.

The pre-climax to climax stretch is cinema at its absolute best. The explosive and highly satisfying final act further enhances the film’s overall range. The face-off sequence between Ranveer Singh and Arjun Rampal will leave us speechless. Some humor is also sprinkled across both halves of the film, especially in the scenes involving the villain’s father.

After Ranveer Singh, the one who impresses the most is Arjun Rampal. As a fierce antagonist who hates India to the core, the actor performs to the tee. Playing such an anti-national character is a very tough job for any actor, but Arjun Rampal delivers with finesse. Rakesh Bedi lights up the screen towards the end. Sara Arjun is phenomenal, while Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, Danish Pandor and others just kill it with their portrayals.

Minus Points:

The film has some political themes, and this time they are more direct than subtle, which may not sit well with a section of the audience. Especially the chapter “Operation Green Leaf” could spark discussions online, as it is portrayed as favorable to a political party.

A couple of redundant sequences could have been avoided in the starting phase of the second half. Background score by Shashwat Sachdev is pretty good. The songs are decent, but not as great as those in the first installment. The content keeps the momentum going, and stronger tracks could have elevated the film even further. This is the only major complaint this time.

Technical Aspects:

The production design, the crafting of action sequences, the cinematography by Vikas Nowlakha, and the editing by Shivkumar Panicker are all world-class, and one can’t point a finger.

Coming to Aditya Dhar, he has indeed outshone himself with Dhurandhar: The Revenge and delivered one of the finest franchises in Indian cinema. It will serve as a textbook example of how to make spy action thrillers, how to etch drama with minimal action, and how to give a proper conclusion to a story.

Verdict:

On the whole, Dhurandhar: The Revenge is a highly satisfying sequel that does full justice to the ticket price. Aditya Dhar respects the audience’s intelligence and delivers a solid output that comfortably surpasses the high expectations the film carries. Ranveer Singh’s performance is one to remember for a long time, and he is ably supported by Arjun Rampal and the rest of the cast. The political themes may generate discussions, and the songs could have been still better. Nonetheless, do yourself a favor and experience this gem of a film in the best theatre possible. This one is set to obliterate box office records. Highly recommended.

123telugu.com Rating: 3.75/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team 

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