Telugu Movie Review

Review: Sahaa – An Emotional Drama That Works In Parts

by 123telugu September 4, 2026

Movie Name : Sahaa

Release Date : September 4, 2026
123telugu.com Rating : 2.75/5
Starring : Shiva Kumar Kasaram, Swetha Lakshman
Director : Nishanth Doti
Producer : Teja Velpucharla
Music Director : Shekar Chandra
Cinematographer : Karunakar Kotteti
Editor : Dinesh Peddi

Related Links : Trailer

Directed by Nishanth Doti, Sahaa – Life of Sanju stars Shiva Kumar Kasaram and Swetha Lakshman in the lead roles. The movie garnered attention with the pre-release challenges made by the lead pair. The movie hit the big screens today, and let’s find out how it is.

Story:

Sanju (Shiva Kumar Kasaram) and Sahaa (Swetha Lakshman) are childhood sweethearts. Their love story becomes successful as they both get married. However, several dramatic developments take place in Sanju’s life. Meanwhile, Sahaa becomes pregnant. A few years later, where does Sanju’s life head? What happened between the couple? And how does that change Sanju’s life eventually? The film has the answers.

Plus points:

Sahaa revolves around love and memories spanning nearly four decades in a young man’s life, and the film manages to engage with some emotional moments and romantic elements. The way the story connects Sanju’s experiences while trying to recover from the pain of his past with the events in the present has been neatly handled.

The movie nicely depicts the mental state of a person who lives with the memories of the girl he loved deeply. The emotions that unfold along the way, along with a few family scenes, work well. Shiva Kumar Kasaram delivers a settled and effortless performance. His performance is particularly good in the climax. Swetha Lakshman is a major asset for the film. Her portrayal in the second half adds value to the movie.

Vrajana Pandya and other actors perform well within the scope of their roles. The main theme written by director Nishanth Doti is good. He also handled the emotional portions fairly well, particularly in the second half.

Minus Points:

Though the climax of Sahaa stands out, the story and narration are quite routine. In fact, the film has a strong central point, but the screenplay doesn’t do complete justice to it. While dealing with such a concept, the movie should ideally be driven by an engaging screenplay throughout, but that didn’t happen here.

The love track between the lead pair should have been built much more strongly. The initial half could have been handled more effectively, as it lays the foundation for the emotional moments in the latter half.

The pacing is slow in several moments, and the film would have benefited from stronger conflicts between the characters. That said, the director has elevated a few emotional moments.

Technical Aspects:

Director Nishant Doti does a decent job in a few portions as a director, but he doesn’t succeed as a writer. The screenplay he has penned doesn’t make the audience completely invested in the proceedings. The main theme chosen is good, though.

Sekhar Chandra is decent. The editing team could have trimmed the unnecessary portions to reduce the boredom factor. Karunakar’s cinematography is good, with some visuals presented both naturally and beautifully. Production values are adequate.

Verdict:

On the whole, Sahaa is an emotional drama that works only in parts. The emotional climax and a few moments featuring the lead pair came out well. However, the storytelling isn’t compelling enough to do justice to the film’s theme, and some routine moments work against the movie. Some elements in the film might connect to those in love.

123telugu.com Rating: 2.75/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

Click Here For Telugu Review

September 4, 2026

Review: Nagabandham – High on Grandeur, Low on Emotional Stakes

by 123telugu July 4, 2026

Movie Name : Nagabandham

Release Date : July 3, 2026
123telugu.com Rating : 2.75/5
Starring : Virat Karrna, Nabha Natesh, Iswarya Menon, Daksha Nagarkar, and others
Director : Abhishek Nama
Producers : Kishore Annapureddy, Nishitha Nagireddy
Music Director : Junaid Kumar – Abhe
Cinematographer : Soundararajan
Editor : RC Pranav

Related Links : Trailer

Nagabandham is one of the costliest films from Tollywood in recent times. Despite no big stars, the movie was made on a whopping budget of Rs. 110 crores which made everyone talk about it. Amidst good buzz, the film has now hit the big screens and let’s see how it is.

Story:

Abdali (Rishabh Sawhney) is on the lookout for the highly valuable Brahmakamalam and a sacred book, both of which are required to unlock Nagabandham, the mystical doors that conceal a hidden treasure. Only when these two are brought together and used effectively do the doors open. The Brahmakamalam is now in the Srirangapuram Ranganathaswamy Temple. Abdali moves his pawns to acquire them both, and that brings him face-to-face with the powerful Rudra (Virat Karrna), who stands determined to stop him. Who ultimately emerges victorious forms the crux of the story.

Plus Points:

Nagabandham is undoubtedly one of the most ambitious films to have come out in recent times. The richness in production values and grand set pieces is visible throughout. The makers have gone all out and have spent a bomb to offer a solid visual treat to the audience.

Virat Karrna is decent. He plays two roles in the film. One as a powerful force named Rudra, while the other is a Naga Sadhu. Efforts towards his physical transformation are visible, and the actor did well in the action sequences.

Fighter fame Rishabh Sawhney is menacing as the antagonist. The brutality present in the character is neatly brought to life by the actor. He gets significant screen time and leaves a good impact. Nabha Natesh looked charming on screen.

Minus Points:

An ambitious attempt to make a larger-than-life film isn’t wrong, but when it fails to get the basics right, that’s where the problems begin. Sadly, the same has happened with Nagabandham. Big-ticket films centered around gods have been on the rise lately. What filmmakers need to understand is that the theme alone isn’t sufficient to keep the audience invested.

For a film to work, it needs an intriguing story, a captivating screenplay, and strong characters. Nagabandham scores low on these fronts, and the fatigue factor sets in as the movie makes it too obvious that it is trying to cash in on trending theme i.e., Sanathana Dharma. A movie with a good story and an interesting screenplay, even with not-so-great production values and low budget, can work, but not the other way around. Visuals and scale can never overpower the flaws in storytelling.

At a runtime of over 3 hours and 15 minutes, the film starts to feel exhausting after a point in time. There are several episodes where the antagonist carries out massacres, and these portions are prolonged unnecessarily with relentless bloodshed. They keep going on endlessly, and the team should have taken more care regarding the length of these episodes. The editing is poor, and the film needs massive refinement. The emotional depth is missing, making it difficult to root for the protagonist.

Apart from Namore, the placement of the other songs isn’t good. The love track between the lead pair comes out of nowhere, and it unintentionally gives away a key hint. There are a bunch of noted actors, but they don’t get much to shine. At times, Nagabandham evokes memories of a few films that explored similar themes.

Technical Aspects:

The producers need to be appreciated for their vision in backing such a huge canvas film without compromising on the budget. Soundar Rajan’s cinematography, lavish production values, and the stunning work by the production design team and art department make the film visually appealing. However, there are noticeable issues with the CGI. The music by Junaid Kumar and Anbe is fine, with Namore emerging as the standout track. The background score is passable.

The writing is the film’s biggest drawback, followed by its excessive length. Be it the treasure hunt or the Sanathana Dharma concept, there isn’t anything new that has been explored here. To avoid predictability, the filmmakers needed to throw in a few surprising elements. Abhishek Nama’s focus on scale dominates the storytelling. Grandeur without proper emotion feels more like a body without a soul.

Verdict:

On the whole, Nagabandham is an ambitious mythological adventure film, but it lacks the necessary depth and soul. The film boasts massive set pieces and grand visuals, but falters when it comes to the story and screenplay. The stretched massacre sequences, lack of freshness, excessive runtime, and the unexcitingly told Sanatana Dharma message hold it back from becoming a satisfying experience.

123telugu.com Rating: 2.75/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

Click Here For Telugu Review

July 4, 2026

Review: Risk – A Game of Youth – A Poorly Executed Crime Drama

by 123telugu June 26, 2026

Movie Name : Risk – A Game of Youth

Release Date : June 26, 2026
123telugu.com Rating : 2/5
Starring : Sandeep Ashwa, Sanya Thakur, Zoya Zaveri, Rajeev Kanakala, Tharun Sagar, Rabindranath Tagore
Director : Gantadi Krishna
Producers : Gantadi Krishna, Gurram Narsimhulu, Raavi Sureesh Reddi
Music Director : Gantadi Krishna
Cinematographer : Jagadeesh Komari
Editor : Shiva Sarvani

Related Links : Trailer

Popular music composer Ghantadi Krishna makes his directorial debut with Risk – A Game of Youth, which hit theatres today. Let’s see how it fares.

Story:

Karthik (Sandeep Ashwa) and his three friends survive by pulling off scams. Hoping to get close to former Miss India Sandali Arora (Zoya Zaveri), they pose as music video makers. However, their plan takes an unexpected turn when Sandali asks them to eliminate her husband, Pradeep Chakravarthy (Anish Kurivilla). Why does she want him dead? Do the four accept her offer? The answers unfold in the rest of the story.

Plus Points:

The premise may feel familiar, but it has enough scope to evolve into an engaging crime drama with the right treatment. Sandeep Ashwa delivers a passable performance, while Zoya Zaveri fits her glamorous role well.

Rajeev Kanakala brings some credibility to the proceedings, and his scenes with the youngsters are among the film’s better moments. On the musical front, Ghantadi Krishna fares much better as a composer than as a director, with a few songs leaving a decent impression.

Minus Points:

The biggest drawback is the film’s execution. Although the core idea has potential, the screenplay fails to generate intrigue or sustain momentum, resulting in a largely uninvolving narrative.

The first half is filled with loosely connected scenes that rely heavily on glamour rather than storytelling. While the second half shifts focus to the crime angle and introduces a few twists, weak execution prevents them from making any real impact.

Casting is another major issue. A crime drama demands convincing performances, but the lead cast struggles to make their characters believable. Even Sandeep Ashwa manages only a passable performance, while the rest fail to leave any impact. Their emotional scenes often miss the mark. For instance, when one of the youngsters is informed that his father has suffered a heart attack, his reaction feels unintentionally comical rather than emotional. Such moments repeatedly dilute the seriousness of the film. Sanya Thakur, meanwhile, has very little to contribute.

A few songs are pleasant to listen to, but their placement, especially the glamour numbers, interrupts the narrative instead of enhancing it.

Technical Aspects:

Ghantadi Krishna succeeds as a composer but falls short in his directorial debut. The writing lacks depth, preventing the film from realising its potential. Shiva Sharvani’s editing could have been much sharper, while Jagadeesh Komari’s cinematography is adequate. The production values are just about average.

Verdict:

On the whole, Risk – A Game of Youth is a poor crime drama that fails to make the most of its familiar premise. Weak performances, an underwhelming screenplay, and inconsistent execution outweigh its few positives. Apart from a handful of decent songs and Rajeev Kanakala’s presence, the film does little to keep audiences invested. This one is easy to give a miss.

123telugu.com Rating: 2/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

June 26, 2026

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