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{{Short description|2022 film by K. V. Guhan}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Highway
| image = Highway Telugu film poster.jpg
| caption = Digital premier poster
| director = [[K. V. Guhan]]
| writer = K. V. Guhan
| producer = Venkat Talati
| starring = [[Anand Deverakonda]] [[Abhishek Banerjee (actor)|Abhishek Banerjee]] [[Manasa Radhakrishnan]] [[Saiyami Kher]]
| cinematography = K. V. Guhan Arun Kumar Selvaraj
| editing = Tammiraju
| music = [[Simon K. King]]
| studio = Sree Iswarya Lakshmi Movies Northstar Entertainment
| distributor = [[Aha (streaming service)|Aha]]
| released = {{Film date|df=y|2022|08|19|ref1=}}
| runtime = 123 minutes
| country = India
| language = Telugu
}}

'''''Highway''''' is a 2022 Indian Telugu-language [[Crime-thriller film|mystery crime thriller]] film written and directed by [[K. V. Guhan]] and, produced by Venkat Talari through Sree Iswarya Lakshmi Movies and Northstar Entertainment. The film features [[Anand Deverakonda]], [[Manasa Radhakrishnan]] (in her [[Telugu cinema|Telugu]] debut) and [[Abhishek Banerjee (actor)|Abhishek Banerjee]] (in his [[Telugu cinema|Telugu]] debut) in primary roles. ''Highway'' was premiered on [[Aha (streaming service)|Aha]] on 19 August 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jha |first=Lata |date=14 August 2022 |title=Telugu service aha Video to stream new thriller 'Highway' |url=https://www.livemint.com/industry/media/telugu-service-aha-video-to-stream-new-thriller-highway-11660461006517.html |access-date=31 August 2022 |website=[[Mint (newspaper)|Mint]] |language=en}}</ref>

== Plot ==
The film starts with Vishnu ([[Anand Devarakonda]]) telling his story.

'''Flashback''': Vishnu is a photographer who lives with his mother, sister and grandmother in Hyderabad. He travels to Bangalore with his long-time friend Samudram ([[Satya (Telugu actor)|Satya]]) to shoot a wedding while, Asha Bharat ([[Saiyami Kher]]) and her team are investigating the case of a serial killer named 'D' ([[Abhishek Banerjee (actor)|Abhishek Banerjee]]) who kills young girls for his pleasure. On other side Tulasi ([[Manasa Radhakrishnan]]), a young, innocent and beautiful village girl who lives with her mother and works in a dairy farm, decides to travel to Mangalore to escape from her boss torture to marry her and to meet her father who abandoned them, whereas, D kills another girl making him and Asha close to meet distance.

On her journey, Tulasi bus stops near a Dhaba for rest. As she goes to use the washroom, an deaf old women mistakenly locks her inside. Later, she escapes out only to see that she missed the bus. There a man tries to harass her but the Dhaba owner Jaya saves her and gives her shelter for night. On other side, Vishnu's car gets repaired in middle of the way. He and Samudram fixes it back and travels to the Dhaba (Where Tulasi stays) to see Jaya who is unknowingly is aunt of Vishnu and childhood crush of Samudram. There Vishnu meets Tulasi and falls for her at the first sight. His aunt gives him the responsibility to drop her to Mangalore, while on the other side D tries to kill other girl but fails. In that frustrating, he kills a small kid who works for her. As Asha comes to investigate there she gets the portrait of D from a lodge owner whom she met before to arrest D, as he stayed there.

During their journey, Tulasi and Vishnu gets close and began to have feelings for each other but things turn upside down when Vishnu have to urgently leave for Bangalore and drops Tulasi near Mangalore bus to travel by giving her a phone to call him if any emergency and he leaves, but the bus doesn't start, making the passengers to get down. Tulasi tries to call him, but the call doesn't get connected. There she meets the man who tried to harass her near the Dhaba. He gives her lift by blackmailing her, but shifts the route and tries to assault her again. While trying to escape from him Tulasi calls Vishnu, even though it gets connected they fail to talk. An enthusiastic D who saw this, saves Tulasi from him only to kidnap her in name of help. Poor Tulasi unaware of all these trusts him.

Vishnu regrets leaving Tulasi alone. Samudram understands his situation and asks him to go back to Tulasi while he travels alone to Bangalore. Vishnu travels back to the place he left Tulasi and brings the man who tried to harass her to the police. There he decodes that D has kidnapped Tulasi and registers the complaint to Asha. He takes pic of the portrait of D and they began to search for Tulasi but in vain. Meanwhile, when D tries to kill Tulasi he accidentally slips into a river, but Tulasi saves him changing his intention to kill her. Later, Vishnu sees courier company DHDC in his way and asks their help to find Tulasi to which they agree.

After a lot of search, Vishnu gets message from the company's driver who finds Tulasi with D in his ambulance and they forward it to him and he shares the same to Asha. Asha and her assistant who decodes D location tries to arrest him, but he overtakes them by taking the gun and shoots them. A terrified Tulasi tries to escape but he threatens her and forcefully takes her away.

Vishnu comes to the location and sees the assistant dead and Asha alive with injuries. He takes her to the govt hospital nearby and leaves to save Tulasi.

'''Present''': D takes Tulasi to a forest in a truck by killing a passerby. He tells her, his motives behind the murders - He was an ordinary ambulance driver who used to enjoy when someone lose their lives. Soon, he meets a beautiful girl and decides to change and leave a peaceful life with her, but she leaves him for another rich guy she meets, making D go mad. An enraged D later kills her and finds the same happiness in killing other similar girls like his lover. D also explains Tulasi that the difference he saw between them and her is that she is all alone and no one will come to save her.

Before they could complete their conversation, Vishnu arrives to save Tulasi. Tulasi attacks on D and goes back to Vishnu, but D comes in between them and tries to kill them both, while a tiger from the forest arrives on time and attacks on D. It kills him as his prey while Tulasi and Vishnu reunite.

The film ends with Tulasi and Vishnu telling the entire story to media leaving the nation in shock.

== Cast ==
{{cast listing|
* [[Anand Deverakonda]] as Vishnu, Tulasi's love interest
* [[Manasa Radhakrishnan]] as Tulasi, Vishnu's love interest
* [[Abhishek Banerjee (actor)|Abhishek Banerjee]] as D, A serial killer
* [[Saiyami Kher]] as Asha Bharath, A police officer investigating D's case
* [[John Vijay]] as The person who tries to harass Tulasi
* [[Reshma Pasupuleti]] as Jaya, Vishnu's aunt and Samudram's long time crush
* [[Satya (Telugu actor)|Satya]] as Samudram, Vishnu's friend and career partner
}}

== Production ==
After watching [[Abhishek Banerjee (actor)|Abhishek Banerjee]]'s performance in the Hindi web series ''[[Paatal Lok]]'', Guhan cast him for the role of a [[serial killer]].<ref name="Bollywood actor Abhishek Banerjee all set to make his Tollywood with the upcoming thriller 'Highway'">{{cite news |date=6 August 2022 |title=Bollywood actor Abhishek Banerjee all set to make his Tollywood with the upcoming thriller 'Highway' |language=en |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movies/news/bollywood-actor-abhishek-banerjee-all-set-to-make-his-tollywood-with-the-upcoming-thriller-highway/articleshow/93394649.cms |access-date=19 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220819124911/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movies/news/bollywood-actor-abhishek-banerjee-all-set-to-make-his-tollywood-with-the-upcoming-thriller-highway/articleshow/93394649.cms |archive-date=19 August 2022}}</ref> The film's launch event with a ''[[Puja (Hinduism)|puja]]'' ceremony was held in May 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 May 2021 |title=Director KV Guhan's Next With Anand Devarakonda As Main Lead Produced By Venkat Talari Titled "Highway" Launched With Pooja Ceremony |url=https://industryhit.com/t/director-kv-guhans-next-with-anand-devarakonda-as-main-lead-produced-by-venkat-talari-titled-highway-launched-with-pooja-ceremony/ |access-date=31 August 2022 |website=Industry Hit |language=en-US}}</ref> It was extensively shot on the highways near [[Hyderabad]], [[Araku Valley]] and [[Chikmagalur]] in approximately forty days.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dundoo |first=Sangeetha Devi |date=16 August 2022 |title=K V Guhan's new film starring Anand Deverakonda and Abhishek Banerjee explores mayhem on the 'Highway' |language=en-IN |work=[[The Hindu]] |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/k-v-guhans-new-film-explores-mayhem-on-the-highway/article65771572.ece |access-date=31 August 2022 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Filming was [[Wrap (filmmaking)|wrapped up]] in October 2021.<ref name="hw">{{Cite web |date=9 October 2021 |title=Anand Deverakonda wraps up 'Highway' |url=https://telanganatoday.com/anand-deverakonda-wraps-up-highway |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211009071418/https://telanganatoday.com/anand-deverakonda-wraps-up-highway |archive-date=9 October 2021 |website=[[Telangana Today]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=4 December 2021 |title=Makers of Anand Deverakonda Starrer Highway Share Poster Featuring Lead Actors |url=https://www.news18.com/news/movies/makers-of-anand-deverakonda-starrer-highway-share-poster-featuring-lead-actors-4519358.html |access-date=31 August 2022 |website=[[News18]] |language=en}}</ref>

== Soundtrack ==
The [[film score]] and [[soundtrack album]] of the film is composed by [[Simon K. King]]. The music rights were acquired by [[Aditya Music]].{{Track listing
| headline =
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| title1 = Kommallo
| length1 = 4:37
| lyrics1 = [[Ananta Sriram]]
| extra1 = [[Sanah Moidutty]], [[Yazin Nizar]]
| title2 = Oohicha Ledhu Kadhe
| length2 = 3:19
| lyrics2 = [[Sri Mani]]
| extra2 = Yazin Nizar
}}

== Release and reception ==
''Highway'' was premiered on [[Aha (streaming service)|Aha]] on 19 August 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 August 2022 |title=Anand Deverakonda-starrer 'Highway' to have direct OTT release |url=https://telanganatoday.com/anand-deverakonda-starrer-highway-to-have-direct-ott-release |access-date=31 August 2022 |website=[[Telangana Today]] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=10 August 2022 |title=Watch Anand Deverakonda's Highway on Aha, Check Release Date |url=https://english.sakshi.com/news/tollywood/watch-anand-deverakondas-highway-aha-check-release-date-159295 |access-date=31 August 2022 |website=[[Sakshi (newspaper)|Sakshi Post]] |language=en}}</ref>

Neeshita Nyayapati of ''[[The Times of India]]'' gave a rating of 2 out of 5 and wrote that "''Highway'' is passable fare at best, but given the kind of talent involved in the project, you can’t help but wonder if the story had the potential to be fleshed out better".<ref>{{Citation |last=Nyayapati |first=Neeshita |title=Highway Review: This serial killer saga fails to rise above cliché |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/telugu/highway/ottmoviereview/93583600.cms |publication-date=19 August 2022 |work=[[The Times of India]] |language=en |access-date=31 August 2022}}</ref> Balakrishna Ganeshan of ''[[The News Minute]]'' also gave same rating and wrote that "''Highway'' sticks true to the crime thriller genre without meandering into unnecessary details or scenes".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ganeshan |first=Balakrishna |date=19 August 2022 |title=Highway review: A crime thriller let down by poorly written characters |url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/highway-review-crime-thriller-let-down-poorly-written-characters-167009 |access-date=31 August 2022 |website=[[The News Minute]] |language=en}}</ref>

Writing for ''[[The Hindu]]'', Sangeetha Devi Dundoo opined that the film "unfolds on familiar lines and delivers thrills from time to time. However, it falls short in the final portions that seem stretched and dilute the potential for a nail-biting finish".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dundoo |first=Sangeetha Devi |date=19 August 2022 |title='Highway' movie review: Telugu thriller engages, but doesn't go beyond tried and tested tropes |language=en-IN |work=[[The Hindu]] |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/highway-movie-review-almost-but-not-quite-there/article65782328.ece |access-date=31 August 2022 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> ''[[India Today]]''{{'}}s Roktim Rajpal stated: "Highway had the potential to be a dark and disturbing thriller but it ends up being a damp squib".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roktim |first=Rajpal |date=19 August 2022 |title=Highway Movie Review: Anand Deverakonda's film is beyond redemption |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/binge-watch/story/highway-movie-review-anand-deverakonda-s-film-is-beyond-redemption-1989882-2022-08-19 |access-date=31 August 2022 |website=[[India Today]] |language=en}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title|id=tt16673138|title=Highway}}
* [https://www.aha.video/movie/highway ''Highway''] on [[Aha (streaming service)|Aha]]

[[Category:2022 films]]
[[Category:Indian crime thriller films]]
[[Category:2022 crime thriller films]]
[[Category:2022 Telugu-language films]]
[[Category:Films set in Visakhapatnam]]
[[Category:Films set in Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:Films set in Bengaluru]]
[[Category:Films set in Hyderabad, India]]
[[Category:Films set in Karnataka]]
[[Category:2020s mystery thriller films]]
[[Category:Indian mystery thriller films]]
[[Category:Films shot in Hyderabad, India]]
[[Category:Films shot in Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:Films shot in Karnataka]]
[[Category:Aha (streaming service) original films]]

Highway (2022 film) - Revision history

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