T Maruthi Acharya

in India Today

I'm Game ends up caught between two versions of itself: the unsettling body-horror thriller it could have been and the standard revenge drama it eventually becomes. The first half suggests a film willing to take risks; the second seems determined to play it safe.

in India Today

Ravi Teja's Irumudi follows a banana farmer whose bond with his daughter collides with a crime targeting schoolgirls. The film uses that conflict to anchor a socially conscious thriller that gathers strength in its latter half.

in India Today

That honesty becomes both the film's greatest strength and its biggest weakness. The first half moves with confidence, humour and curiosity. Every new stage of Vineeth's journey feels exciting because we are discovering cinema alongside him. The second half deliberately slows down and shifts its focus from aspiration to consequence. The intention makes sense, but the execution may not work for everyone. At times, the narrative becomes so invested in showing the struggle that it starts circling the same emotional territory. The idea is clear, but the film occasionally gets trapped within its own philosophy of fate, choices and consequences. Yet even when the narrative loses momentum, it never loses sincerity. Naslen plays a huge role in making that happen.

in India Today

Happy Raj tries to be that film, but misses a crucial step. Here, the moments that are meant to engage either feel flat or drift into bizarre territory. Instead of building towards emotion, the film keeps taking strange detours in the name of comedy, and most of them neither land as funny nor meaningful. Right from the opening scene, the film tells you what it is. A girl rejecting the hero purely because of his father’s appearance is not just insensitive, it feels completely artificial. It’s the kind of writing that exists only to push a point, not to reflect reality. In that moment, one thing becomes clear — this is a film heading towards a preachy climax, built on exaggerated situations rather than organic storytelling.

in India Today

The idea of exploring how such an incident reshapes a woman's life and public perception is compelling, but the screenplay rarely lets those moments breathe, using them instead to artificially raise the stakes.

in India Today

The deeper issue with ‘Jatadhara’ isn’t just poor execution; it’s the absence of intent. There’s no emotional or narrative spine. The film tosses around words like “faith,” “fear,” and “energy,” but never commits to exploring what they mean. The Shiva integration and the Tandav sequence in the climax feel forced and unnecessary, more like a cash-in on current trends than a genuine extension of the story. In the end, ‘Jatadhara’ feels like a film designed from a checklist rather than a script. Sudheer Babu and Sonakshi Sinha do their best to rise above the chaos, but the inconsistent direction, flat writing, and weak technicals leave little room for redemption. There’s a genuinely interesting concept buried somewhere here — about hidden treasure, human sacrifices, and the myth of Dhana Pisachini, but it’s lost in the noise of poor filmmaking.

in India Today

The tragedy of ‘K-Ramp’ lies in its wasted potential. Good comedy writing, and a sensitive portrayal of love, mental health, and acceptance, could have been refreshing. Instead, the film becomes a farce, laughing at pain, mocking vulnerability, and dressing insensitivity as entertainment. If there is anything that holds the film together, it is the cast’s commitment. It is increasingly frustrating how filmmakers defend films like this by claiming they were made for “B and C section audiences” or insisting the film is self-aware, or that there is no logic or story, as if such statements excuse poor writing. Audiences are perceptive enough to see through these claims. Quality storytelling should transcend arbitrary categories rather than underestimate the viewer’s intelligence.

in India Today

By the time you reach the halfway mark, you realise ‘Mass Jathara’ isn’t chasing depth. It’s chasing recall: the feeling of watching a Ravi Teja film the way you did a decade ago. It knows its flaws but is too content in its nostalgia to fix them. And maybe that’s where its charm lies—in being a self-aware entertainer that celebrates excess while showing how cyclical the genre has become.

in India Today

Technically, the film feels undercooked. The music by Bheems Ceciroleo is functional but poorly placed, and the editing lacks rhythm. Scenes cut away before building any tension, and the flow suffers throughout. ‘12A Railway Colony’ attempts to follow the twist-driven structure of the Polimera films but without the strong setup or atmosphere that made those twists effective. Here, the mystery lacks depth, the screenplay feels scattered and the logic behind key events is weak. There is an interesting idea buried somewhere, but the narration pushes the viewer away long before the film reaches it. By the time the final twists arrive, most of them feel like false alarms. A thriller can survive uneven execution, but when the problem begins at the idea level itself, very little can be salvaged.

in India Today

However, the execution doesn’t fully match the writing’s promise. The VFX, especially in storm sequences, is unconvincing, and certain dramatic threads, particularly in the village and jail portions, are introduced but wrapped up too quickly. Tropes such as a sudden social media blow-up or the redemption of a wealthy alcohol shop owner feel overused. Some scenes become repetitive, and pacing dips in the middle episodes. The series follows a traditional narrative arc: introduction, conflict, escape, rescue with little innovation in flow. ‘Arabia Kadali’ is a sincere and well-researched portrayal of the lives and vulnerabilities of coastal communities. It’s grounded and dotted with moments of beauty, authenticity, and truth. But a dated visual style, missed dramatic potential, and a stretched runtime keep it from reaching the emotional high it aims for.

in India Today

The film’s first half is a testament to Ravipudi’s ability to entertain with comedy-driven sequences and relatable family dynamics. Bulliraju’s (Venkatesh) hilarious one-liners and the chemistry between Raju and his wife form the backbone of this section, with Aishwarya Rajesh stealing the spotlight with her natural, impactful performance. The integration of her character into the mission proceedings in the second half is a notable highlight, showcasing well-handled writing and direction. However, while the writing shines in certain portions, it falters in others, particularly in the second half. The narrative loses momentum as it leans heavily on formulaic tropes and forced comedic subplots involving Upendra Limaye, Naresh, and VTV Ganesh. These tracks, while amusing in parts, feel repetitive and disrupt the story’s flow.

in India Today

‘Telusu Kada’ is a strong debut for Neerraja Kona, with bold themes, solid performances, and a fresh take on contemporary relationships. While a clearer presentation of its ideas and deeper emotional resonance could have elevated it to an epic exploration of modern love, the film instead leaves the audience with a question: in the battles of the heart, whose ego truly dominates — testosterone or estrogen, or were we expected to figure that out ourselves?

in India Today

T Maruthi Acharya of India Today gave it two-and-a-half out of five stars and wrote that "The central plot has promise, but it gets lost in trying to cram too many elements into one narrative, diluting the impact.