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{{Short description|2023 film directed by Karthik Varma Dandu}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Virupaksha
| image = Virupaksha Poster.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = Karthik Varma Dandu
| screenplay = [[Sukumar]]
{{Infobox | decat = yes | child = yes
| label1= Dialogues by
| data1 = {{Ubl |V. Prabhakar|Nagu}}
}}
| story = Karthik Varma Dandu
| producer = {{plain list|
* [[B. V. S. N. Prasad]]
* Sukumar
}}
| starring = {{Ubl
| [[Sai Dharam Tej]]
| [[Samyuktha (actress, born 1995)|Samyuktha Menon]]
| [[Sunil (actor)|Sunil]]
| [[Brahmaji]]
| [[Rajeev Kanakala]]
| [[Ajay (actor)|Ajay]]
| [[Ravi Krishna (television actor)|Ravi Krishna]]
}}
| cinematography = [[Shamdat|Shamdat Sainudeen]]
| editing = [[Naveen Nooli|Navin Nooli]]
| music = [[B. Ajaneesh Loknath]]
| studio = {{ubl|[[Sri Venkateswara Cine Chitra]]|Sukumar Writings}}
| distributor =
| released = {{Film date|2023|4|21|df=y}}
| runtime = 146 minutes<ref name=BBFC>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/virupaksha-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdeynzqw |title=''Virupaksha'' |website=[[British Board of Film Classification]] |date=19 April 2023 |access-date=20 April 2023}}</ref>
| country = India
| language = Telugu
| budget =
| gross = {{INR|103 crore}}<ref>{{Cite web| date=2023-05-27|title=Virpuaksha, Dasara And Thiruvin Kural Among Top 10 Netflix Films Of This Week|url=https://www.news18.com/movies/virpuaksha-dasara-and-thiruvin-kural-among-top-10-netflix-films-of-this-week-7932775.html|access-date=2023-05-30 |website=[[Network18 Group|News18]]|language=en}}</ref>
}}
'''''Virupaksha''''' ({{Translation|A form of [[Shiva|Siva]]}}) is a 2023 Indian [[Telugu language|Telugu]]-language [[Horror film|horror]] [[thriller film]]<ref name=BBFC/> directed by Karthik Varma Dandu who co-wrote the film with [[Sukumar]]. The film was produced by [[B. V. S. N. Prasad]] and Sukumar through [[Sri Venkateswara Cine Chitra]] and Sukumar Writings respectively. It features [[Sai Dharam Tej]], [[Samyuktha (actress, born 1995)|Samyuktha Menon]], [[Sunil (actor)|Sunil]], [[Rajeev Kanakala]], [[Brahmaji]], [[Ajay (actor)|Ajay]] and [[Ravi Krishna (television actor)|Ravi Krishna]].

''Virupaksha'' was released on 21 April 2023 and received generally positive reviews from critics.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 April 2023 |title=Virupaksha movie review: Sai Dharam Tej-starrer supernatural thriller delivers |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/telugu/virupaksha-movie-review-sai-dharam-tej-starrer-supernatural-thriller-delivers-8568866/ |work=[[The New Indian Express]]}}</ref> The film became a commercial success at the box office.<ref>{{cite news |title=Virupaksha Enters 100 cr Club: వంద కోట్ల క్ల‌బ్‌లో విరూపాక్ష - చిరంజీవి త‌ర్వాత మెగా మేన‌ల్లుడిదే ఈ రికార్డ్‌ |url=https://telugu.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/sai-dharam-tej-virupaksha-movie-enters-100cr-club-121684390650367.html |access-date=18 May 2023 |publisher=Hindustan Times Telugu}}</ref>

== Plot ==
In 1979 ''Rudravanam'', Venkata Chalapathy and his wife are brutally assaulted, whisked away and immolated by the outraged inhabitants, who surmise that their eerie rituals ([[Black magic]]) induced multiple deaths in the village; the dying woman curses Rudravanam and anticipates destruction of the village after twelve years. The couple's young son Bhairava is subsequently admitted into an [[orphanage]] at the [[Sarpanch]] Harishchandra Prasad's behest.

In 1991, a week after the disappearance of a resident Siddhaiah in the aftermath of a supernatural [[crow]] mauling him, Anasuyamma, escorted by her son Surya and nephew, visits Rudravanam, her hometown, to contribute a tract of their land for construction of a school and attend the village's annual carnival, organized in the honour of ''Goddess Modamamba''. Surya's encounter with Nandini, Harishchandra Prasad's daughter, results in love and she apparently reciprocates but hesitates to accept his proposal. Siddhaiah, who has developed a sinister [[poxvirus|pox]], shows up at the temple and dies in the inner sanctum, which is deemed to be a [[sacrilege]]. The temple's head priest analyzes the customary edict, declaring that the Goddess and her children (the villagers) are desecrated and to contain the debacle with Siddhaiah's death, it is necessary to seal the village in eight directions for the next eight days; commuting is prohibited and all the religious emblems are supposed to be stored in the temple. Surya and his family are permitted to exit, considering the fact that they have not been to the village for eighteen years. Nevertheless, Surya reenters Rudravanam to deliver a vial that could cure Nandini, who is prone to [[convulsions]], rendering him incapable of traversing the extremities of the place for eight days.

Sudha, Nandini's close friend, transgresses the boundary to [[elopement|elope]] with her lover Kumar, whose tragic death she witnesses and returns to the village, walks into a [[beehive]], provoking the [[bees]] to attack and kill her. Unaware of Sudha's quietus, her parents conceal her elopement, dreading disgrace. Alleged suicides of Suri, a [[cowman (profession)|milkman]], and Parvathi, Surya's cousin, intrigue Surya, who distrusts the assumptions and investigates the killings with an RMP doctor. An [[Aghori|Aghora]] cautions the village of forthcoming perils and comprehends that they've made a mistake by imposing the lockdown. Surya discovers Sudha's corpse and detects Kumar's demise; realizing that Suri witnessed Sudha's death and Parvathi saw Suri slitting his throat just as Sudha viewed Kumar's death, Surya deduces that death is being infected from one to another and locates the latest possible victim: Nandini, who eventually contemplates suicide but Surya's timely intervention rescues her. Surya assimilates the past involving Chalapathy and his family and infiltrates their dilapidated residence with the RMP; discerning a recent visit to the place, Surya suspects Bhairava. The head priest assesses the edict and proclaims that sacrificing Nandini will end the occurrences. Resisting the villagers, Surya sedates Nandini and vows to resolve the problem within eight hours. He visits Bhairava's orphanage, where he discovers that Bhairava absconded after [[paralysis|paralyzing]] its founder. Surya locates a few Aghoras in the process of spearheading a search for Bhairava's hideout. The Aghora, who has warned the villagers earlier, assists him in discovering a cave, where the spell has been cast. Surya uncovers Bhairava's belongings, which help him realize that Kumar is Bhairava, and the actual edict of Rudravanam, which was replaced with a fake one: one that is being utilized currently. Grasping that a villager has been aiding and in fact, directing Kumar to execute the curse, Surya ascertains that Nandini's sacrifice is a hoax to exterminate the village.

With the Aghora, Surya departs to desist the villagers but the superstitious residents of neighboring villages prevent them, fearing deaths in their respective hometowns. He eventually manages to return and is stunned to see the villagers possessed, since they have proceeded with the ritual, owing to Surya's retardation. Conjecturing that Harishchandra Prasad is Kumar's secret accomplice, Surya goes to confront him and realizes that Nandini is Chalapathi's daughter, whose existence has been secreted by Harischandra Prasad. Perceiving Nandini to be the principal perpetrator, Surya informs Harishchandra Prasad of Nandini's conspiracies and rushes back to the site of sacrifice. He confronts Nandini for decimating the innocents but she refuses to back off, commands him to leave and tries to proceed with the ritual. She tells him that Chalapathy was an [[Atharvaveda|Atharvana Veda]] practitioner, whose attempts to cure his paralyzed wife were misinterpreted to be evil practices in a frenzy and that she has been exacting revenge from the village along with Bhairava. Despite Nandini's insistence, Surya refuses to leave and attempts to aid her in realizing her love for him, requesting her to cease the ritual. Nandini, who is incompetent to attack him due to the pendant, reciprocates his feelings and asks him to kill her, which will intercept the ritual. He brings himself to stab her, ending the death plague and rescuing the villagers from getting killed.

During Nandini's [[cremation]], Surya requests the villagers to retire from their [[taboo]] regarding evil practices and transform Chalapathy's house into a school. He looks at Nandini's pendant, prompting his eyes to glow in a paranormal way.

==Cast==
{{cast listing|
* [[Sai Dharam Tej]] as Surya
* [[Samyuktha (actress, born 1995)|Samyuktha]] as Nandini
* [[Sunil (actor)|Sunil]] as Abbai Raju, a villager
* [[Rajeev Kanakala]] as Harishchandra Prasad
* [[Brahmaji]] as RMP Doctor Koti
* [[Ravi Krishna (television actor)|Ravi Krishna]] as Bhairava Kumar alias Kumar
** Master Roshan as young Bhairava
* [[Abhinav Gomatam]] as Surya's cousin
* [[Kamal Kamaraju]] as Venkata Chalapathy
* Kamakshi Bhaskarla as Venkata Chalapathy's wife
* [[Sai Chand]] as The head priest
* [[Ajay (actor)|Ajay]] as [[Aghori|Aghora]]
* Soniya Singh as Sudha
* Niharika as Anasuyamma
* Rajasekhar Aningi as [[Orphanage]]'s caretaker
* Meka Sivaramakrishna as [[Orphanage]]'s founder
* Shyamala as Parvati
* [[Chatrapathi Sekhar]] as Shivayya, Parvati's husband
* Bhel Prasad as Sathayya, Sudha’s father
* Naveen Neni as Upparam, Sudha’s brother-in-law
* Mahesh Achanta as Sastry, the RMP's acquaintance from neighboring village}}

== Production ==
The exteriors and the streets of the fictional Rudravanam village were shot in and around [[Araku Valley|Araku]] and [[Paderu]] in erstwhile Visakhapatnam district, where Karthik Varma also wrote the script.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goud |first=Nagaraj |date=20 April 2023 |title=Director Karthik Dandu interview about Virupaksha |url=https://www.idlebrain.com/celeb/interview/karthikdandu.html |access-date=2023-04-30 |website=[[Idlebrain.com]]}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Ram Venkar Srikar |date=27 April 2023 |title=Sukumar Sir Told Me That My Imagination Was Too Creepy: Karthik Dandu on Crafting Virupaksha |url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/S0xff |access-date=2023-04-30 |website=Film Companion |via=Ghostarchive}}</ref> The haunted house and sarpanch's house were sets built in [[Hyderabad]].<ref name=":0" />

==Themes==
Dandu being a fan of the horror genre was prompted to make an out-and-out horror film amid the trend of horror-comedies, after he read a newspaper article about a [[Gujarati people|Gujarati]] woman being stoned to death by people who suspected her of being a witch and doing black magic on villagers. Feeling she could have easily killed her killers instead, had she really known black magic, Dandu decided to write the film's story where, according to him, no ghost exists but its presence can be constantly felt.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.123telugu.com/interviews/i-went-into-coma-when-sai-tej-met-with-bike-accident-virupaksha-director-karthik-varma.html|title=Interview : Virupaksha director Karthik Dandu – I went into coma when Sai Tej met with bike accident|website=[[123Telugu.com]]|access-date=26 April 2023}}</ref>

According to Tej, the film takes place between 1989 and 1991, and is more about the mystery behind deaths in a village than the horror element.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.123telugu.com/interviews/interview-sai-dharam-tej-virupaksha-means-an-eye-that-doesnt-have-a-form.html|title=Interview : Sai Dharam Tej – Virupaksha means an eye that doesn’t have a form|website=[[123Telugu.com]]|access-date=19 April 2023|quote=Virupaksha is set during 1989 -1991. The story happens in a village where mysterious deaths take place. How the mystery unravels is what the film is about. More than the horror element, it is about the mystery.}}</ref> Menon has described the film as a "mystical thriller" and not a horror film.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.123telugu.com/interviews/interview-samyukta-menon-in-virupaksha-i-play-a-village-belle-who-has-a-lot-of-attitude.html|title=Interview : Samyukta Menon – In Virupaksha, I play a village belle who has a lot of attitude|website=[[123Telugu.com]]|access-date=18 April 2023|quote=It is a mystical thriller. It’s not a horror film, but people might feel scared.}}</ref>
== Music ==
{{Infobox album
| name = Virupaksha
| type = soundtrack
| artist = [[B. Ajaneesh Loknath]]
| cover =
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|2023|04|22|df=yes}}
| recorded = 2022–2023
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = [[Feature film soundtrack]]
| length = {{Duration|m=12|s=15}}
| language = Telugu
| label = [[Sony Music India]]
| producer =
| prev_title = [[Spooky College]]
| prev_year = 2023
| year = 2023
| next_title =
| next_year =
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Virupaksha
| type = soundtrack
| single1 = Nachavule Nachavule
| single1date = 24 March 2023
| single2 = Kalallo
| single2date = 17 April 2023
}}
}}
{{External media |audio1 = {{YouTube|hJbMZ8T3x6o|Audio Jukebox}}}}

The [[film score]] and [[soundtrack]] is composed by [[B. Ajaneesh Loknath]]. The first song "Nachavule Nachavule" was released on 24 March 2023,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kota |first=Naresh |date=2023-03-24 |title=Virupaksha Song Nachavule Nachavule video is out now! |url=https://www.ntvenglish.com/movie-news/virupaksha-song-nachavule-nachavule-video-is-out-now.html |access-date=2023-04-24 |website=[[NTV (Telugu)|NTV]] |language=en-US}}</ref> while the second song "Kalallo" was released on 17 April 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-17 |title=Virupaksha Kallalo song released |url=https://www.vaartha.com/virupaksha-kallalo-song-released/ |access-date=2023-04-24 |website=[[Vaartha]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

{{Track listing
| all_music =
| headline = Track listing
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| title1 = Nachavule Nachavule
| length1 = 3:42
| lyrics1 = [[Krishna Kanth]]
| extra1 = [[Karthik (singer)|Karthik]]
| title2 = Kalallo
| length2 = 3:44
| lyrics2 = [[Ananta Sriram]]
| extra2 = [[Anurag Kulkarni]], [[Madhushree]]
| title3 = Ragile Jwaale
| length3 = 4:49
| lyrics3 = [[Krishna Kanth]]
| extra3 = [[B. Ajaneesh Loknath]]
| total_length = 12:15
}}

==Release==
The film had a theatrical release on 21 April 2023 in [[Telugu cinema|Telugu]]. The film was dubbed and theatrically released in [[Hindi]], [[Tamil language|Tamil]] and [[Malayalam]] languages on 5 May 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-04 |title=Virupaksha is releasing tomorrow in Hindi, Tamil, and Malayalam |url=https://telanganatoday.com/virupaksha-is-releasing-tomorrow-in-hindi-tamil-and-malayalam |access-date=2023-05-05 |website=[[Telangana Today]] |language=en-US}}</ref> The [[Over-the-top media service|digital]] and [[Satellite television|satellite rights]] of the film were acquired by [[Netflix]] and [[Star Maa]] respectively.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Srivastav |first=Simran |date=2023-05-09 |title=Virupaksha: OTT Rights Of Sai Dharam Tej's Horror Thriller Sold To THIS Streaming Platform |url=https://english.jagran.com/entertainment/virupaksha-ott-release-date-ott-rights-of-sai-dharam-tej-horror-thriller-sold-to-this-streaming-platform-10077098 |access-date=2023-05-30 |website=[[Jagran Prakashan|English Jagran]] |language=en}}</ref> The film was premiered on 21 May 2023 on Netflix.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goud |first=Priyanka |date=2023-05-16 |title=Virupaksha OTT Release Date: When and where to watch Sai Dharam Tej-Samyuktha's film |url=https://www.pinkvilla.com/entertainment/south/virupaksha-ott-release-date-when-and-where-to-watch-sai-dharam-tej-samyukthas-film-1221304 |access-date=2023-05-30 |website=[[Pinkvilla]] |language=en}}</ref> It is scheduled to premiere on television on 25 June 2023 on [[Star Maa]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-19 |title=Sai Dharam Tej-starrer Virupaksha To Have Its World TV Premier On This Date |url=https://www.news18.com/movies/sai-dharam-tej-starrer-virupaksha-to-have-its-world-tv-premier-on-this-date-8117179.html |access-date=2023-06-20 |website=[[News18]] |language=en}}</ref>

== Reception ==
''Virupaksha'' received positive reviews from critics.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-21 |title=Virupaksha Telugu Movie Review |url=https://www.123telugu.com/reviews/virupaksha-telugu-movie-review.html |access-date=2023-04-22 |website=[[123telugu.com|123Telugu]] |language=en}}</ref> Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of ''[[The Hindu]]'' praised the story and work by Karthik Varma Dandu. She further praised the production design, editing and cinematography done by Srinagendra Tangala, Navin Nooli and Shamdat Sainudeen.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dundoo |first=Sangeetha Devi |date=2023-04-21 |title='Virupaksha' movie review: Sai Dharam Tej and Samyuktha Menon's film invokes fear without the gimmicks |language=en-IN |work=[[The Hindu]] |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/virupaksha-telugu-movie-review-invokes-fear-without-the-gimmicks/article66763110.ece |access-date=2023-04-22 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Raghu Bandi of ''[[The Indian Express]]'' also praised the direction, and story written by Karthik Varma Dandu along with performances of lead actors, particularly Samyuktha Menon's.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bandi |first=Raghu |date=2023-04-21 |title=Virupaksha movie review: Sai Dharam Tej-starrer supernatural thriller delivers |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/telugu/virupaksha-movie-review-sai-dharam-tej-starrer-supernatural-thriller-delivers-8568866/ |access-date=2023-04-22 |website=[[The Indian Express]] |language=en}}</ref> Neeshita Nyayapati of ''[[The Times of India]]'' wrote "''Virupaksha'' is a well-crafted film – the kind that makes you look at the characters beyond the actors because the film has a suffocating atmosphere that'll draw you in."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Nyayapati |first=Neeshita |date=2023-04-22 |title=Virupaksha Movie Review: A gripping horror film |work=[[The Times of India]] |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movie-reviews/virupaksha/movie-review/99663810.cms |access-date=2023-04-22 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

''[[Mallemala Entertainments|123Telugu]]'' gave 3.25 out of 5 stars and wrote "Virupaksha is an engaging mystical thriller that is high on technical values. A good storyline, commendable performances by the actors, pulse-pounding sound effects, and neat direction are its trump cards. Barring the slightly slow second half, this movie very much deserves a theatrical experience for its incredible technical values."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-21 |title=Virupaksha Telugu Movie Review |url=https://www.123telugu.com/reviews/virupaksha-telugu-movie-review.html |access-date=2023-04-22 |website=[[123telugu.com|123Telugu]] |language=en}}</ref> Latha Srinivasan of ''[[India Today]]'' gave 3 out of 5 stars and wrote "While the climax of the film may appeal to some and not to others, the film focuses on superstitions which some people in the country still believe in. It should be food for thought. On the whole, the film is a good entertainer."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Srinivasan |first=Latha |date=2023-04-22 |title=Virupaksha Movie Review: Sai Dharam Tej shines in this compelling supernatural horror flick |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/reviews/story/virupaksha-movie-review-sai-dharam-tej-shines-in-this-compelling-supernatural-horror-flick-2363429-2023-04-22 |access-date=2023-04-22 |website=[[India Today]] |language=en}}</ref> ''[[The Hans India]]'' wrote that story, screenplay, sound design and performance of lead actors, are the major positives of the film.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-21 |title=Virupaksha Movie review: An honest attempt in a new genre |url=https://www.thehansindia.com/movie-reviews/virupaksha-movie-review-an-honest-attempt-in-a-new-genre-79209 |access-date=2023-04-22 |website=[[The Hans India]] |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|tt24059780}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Virupaksha}}
[[Category:2023 films]]
[[Category:2020s Telugu-language films]]
[[Category:Indian mystery films]]
[[Category:Sri Venkateswara Creations films]]
[[Category:Indian horror thriller films]]
[[Category:Indian supernatural horror films]]
[[Category:Indian supernatural thriller films]]
[[Category:Indian mystery thriller films]]
[[Category:Indian films about revenge]]
[[Category:Films set in 1979]]
[[Category:Films set in 1991]]
[[Category:Films set in Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:2023 horror thriller films]]
[[Category:2020s mystery horror films]]
[[Category:2020s supernatural horror films]]
[[Category:Films shot in Hyderabad, India]]
[[Category:Films shot in Bangkok]]

Virupaksha (film) - Revision history

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