| Mahendragiri Varahi | |
|---|---|
 Poster of Mahendragiri Varahi | |
| Telugu | మహేన్ద్రగిరి వారాహీ |
| Directed by | Santhossh Jagarlapudi |
| Written by | Santhossh Jagarlapudi |
| Screenplay by | Naga Muralidhar Namala |
| Story by | Naga Muralidhar Namala |
| Based on | Varahi of Mahendragiri (Tamil Nadu) |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Pratap R. Krishna |
| Edited by | Junaid Siddiqui |
| Music by | Anup Rubens |
Production companies |
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Release date |
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Running time | 154 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Telugu |
| Budget | ₹15 crore |
| Box office | ₹5.13 crore |
Mahendragiri Varahi is a 2026 Indian Telugu-language mythological supernatural thriller film written and directed by Santhossh Jagarlapudi.[1] Produced by Kalipu Madhu and Surabhi Laxman under the banners of Rajashyamala Entertainments and Bridge Films, the film stars Sumanth, Meenakshi Goswami, Aishwarya Rajesh, and Malvika Nair in the lead roles. The film also features Siddhu Jonnalagadda in a special appearance, alongside an ensemble supporting cast that includes Brahmanandam, Vennela Kishore, and Rajeev Kanakala. The music was composed by Anup Rubens, with cinematography handled by Pratap R. Krishna and editing by Junaid Siddiqui.[2]
The plot revolves around Siddharth (Sumanth), an atheist YouTuber who travels to the remote village of Mahendragiri to investigate a 200-year-old deadly curse plaguing the local royal Zamindar family. Mahendragiri Varahi was released in theatres on 11 September 2026.[3] It received mixed to negative reviews from critics, who praised the musical score and Sumanth's performance, but criticized the screenplay, visual effects, and pacing.[4] It was a commercial failure at the box office.[5]
Plot[edit | edit source]
For over 200 years, the royal Zamindar dynasty of Mahendragiri (located near Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh) has been haunted by a supernatural curse inflicted by the Goddess Varahi. According to the ancient legend, no male descendant of the family will survive past their 33rd birthday (33 Janma Thidhis).
In the present day, the family is led by its matriarch. Following the sudden and mysterious deaths of recent heirs—including her son and Nagendra Varma, who both succumb to the curse on their 33rd birthdays—the family is left in deep distress. Siddharth, a rationalist and atheist YouTuber from Hyderabad who specializes in debunking blind beliefs, arrives in Mahendragiri. Unwittingly dragged into the mystery after personal tragedy strikes close to his extended family, Siddharth begins an investigation to uncover the truth behind the unnatural deaths. As danger closes in, he must discover whether the male heirs are truly victims of Goddess Varahi's wrath or if the curse is a smokescreen for a sinister, revenge-driven conspiracy.[2]
Cast[edit | edit source]
- Sumanth as Siddharth, an atheist YouTuber
- Meenakshi Goswami
- Aishwarya Rajesh in a cameo appearance as Goddess Varahi
- Malvika Nair
- Siddhu Jonnalagadda in a special appearance as an heir of the royal family
- Manju Bhargavi as the matriarch of the Mahendragiri royal family
- Brahmanandam
- Vennela Kishore
- Rajeev Kanakala as Rajeev, Siddharth's elder brother
- Kamal Kamaraju
- Vamsee Chaganti as Nagendra Varma
- Ali
- Srinivas Vadlamani
- Subhalekha Sudhakar[6]
Production[edit | edit source]
The film was announced by director Santhossh Jagarlapudi, who previously directed the mystery thriller Subrahmanyapuram (2018), which also starred Sumanth in the lead role.[2] It was produced by Kalipu Madhu and Surabhi Laxman under Rajashyamala Entertainments and Bridge Films. The project tapped into the growing trend of divine and supernatural thrillers prevalent in Telugu cinema. The cinematography was handled by Pratap R. Krishna, and the film was edited by Junaid Siddiqui. The film was reportedly made on a budget of ₹15 crore, marking it as one of the higher-budget ventures in Sumanth's career.[5]
Music[edit | edit source]
The film's soundtrack and background score were composed by Anup Rubens. The audio rights were acquired by Junglee Music. The first lyrical single, "The Power Of Varahi," sung by Sai Vignesh with lyrics by Dr. Venigalla Rambabu, was released on 8 September 2026.
Release[edit | edit source]
Theatrical[edit | edit source]
Mahendragiri Varahi was released theatrically on 11 September 2026 in Telugu, along with dubbed versions in Hindi and Tamil.[3] It received a UA (16+) certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification.
Home media[edit | edit source]
Following its short theatrical run, the digital streaming rights were acquired by Amazon Prime Video. The film premiered on the platform on 2 October 2026, three weeks after its theatrical release, and was made available in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada languages.[5] The hindi dubbed version was premiered on JioHotstar on 7 November 2026.[7]
Reception[edit | edit source]
Critical response[edit | edit source]
The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics. The Times of India rated the film 2.5 out of 5 stars, praising the mythological setup and Sumanth's measured performance, but criticized the slow-paced storytelling, noting that "the script needed divine intervention."[1] The Hindu reviewed it as a "stale, tiring supernatural thriller," although it commended Sumanth as the film's "only saving grace."[3]
Gulte.com appreciated Anup Rubens' background score for matching the tone of the film but criticized the flat narration, wasted cameos, and unpolished visual effects.[8] GreatAndhra rated the film 2.25 out of 5, finding the narration routine and observing that the suspense elements fell flat in the second half.[1]
Box office[edit | edit source]
Mahendragiri Varahi opened to low occupancy due to mixed word-of-mouth. Over its 15-day theatrical run, the film grossed approximately ₹5.13 crore worldwide against a production budget of ₹15 crore, failing to recover its costs and ending up as a box-office flop.[4]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Pulugurtha, Sanjana. "Mahendragiri Varahi Movie Review: The royal legend thrills, but the script needed divine intervention". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 12 September 2026. Retrieved 7 November 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "'Mahendragiri Varahi' Review: A Divine Mystery". Great Andhra. 11 September 2026. Archived from the original on 11 September 2026. Retrieved 7 November 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Nadadhur, Srivathsan (11 September 2026). "'Mahendragiri Varahi' movie review: Sumanth is the only saving grace of this stale, tiring supernatural thriller". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 11 September 2026. Retrieved 7 November 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Mahendragiri Varahi Box Office Collection". Sacnilk. 11 September 2026. Retrieved 7 November 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Mahendragiri Varahi released on OTT: Where to watch Sumanth's Telugu mythological thriller online? Check language versions". The Economic Times. 2 October 2026. Archived from the original on 2 October 2026. Retrieved 7 November 2026.
- ↑ "Mahendragiri Varahi Cast List". Bollywood Hungama. 11 September 2026. Retrieved 7 November 2026.
- ↑ "Watch Mahendragiri Varahi - JioHotstar". Hotstar. Retrieved 7 November 2026.
- ↑ Satya (12 September 2026). "Mahendragiri Varahi Review". Gulte. Retrieved 7 November 2026.
External links[edit | edit source]