Mahendragiri Varahi Movie Review.. How Is Sumanth’s Mystery Thriller?

Release Date: September 11, 2026

Starring: Sumanth, Meenakshi Goswami, Aishwarya Rajesh, Siddu Jonnalagadda, Malvika Nair, Manju Bhargavi, Brahmanandam, Rajeev Kanakala, Vennela Kishore, Vamsee Chaganti, Kamal Kamaraju, Srinivas Vadlamani and others

Director: Santhosh Jagarlapudi

Producers: Madhu Kalipu, Laxman

Music Director: Anup Rubens

Cinematographer: Pratap R Krishna

Editor: Junaid Siddiqui

Story:

The story revolves around a curse on the Mahendragiri dynasty, where all the men belonging to the family die at the age of 33. The curse continues across generations despite the family’s attempts to please Goddess Varahi. Siddharth (Sumanth), a YouTuber from Hyderabad who exposes scams and fraudulent activities, gets connected to the mystery and takes up the challenge of uncovering the truth behind the deaths.

Plus Points:

The film starts on an intriguing note with the mysterious deaths. Siddu Jonnalagadda shines in a key cameo and makes an impact despite his limited screen time. The interval sequence further raises curiosity with an unexpected turn. Sumanth is sincere as a YouTuber, and his character becomes more interesting once he begins investigating the mysterious deaths. The pre-climax and climax portions are handled neatly, while the twists are reasonably well written and unpredictable. Vamsee Chaganti, Brahmanandam and Vennela Kishore perform well in supporting roles, while Meenakshi Goswami is decent.

Minus Points:

Although the twists and emotional aspects of the backstory are handled well, the film misses out on certain logical aspects. The divine intervention appears only towards the end, raising questions about why it did not happen earlier despite the family going through so much turmoil. The film offers no convincing explanation, making the writing feel convenient at times.

The technical output is another weak point. The visual effects are not up to the mark, while the use of artificial intelligence in some portions becomes distracting. Revealing Aishwarya Rajesh’s role in the promotional material also reduces the impact of the revelation in the theatre. The middle portions could have been tighter, and a few scenes could have been trimmed. The basic premise may remind viewers of Murari, although the narrative path is different.

Technical Aspects:

Anup Rubens’ background score is decent, while Pratap R Krishna’s cinematography is satisfactory. The editing needed more precision. Director Santhosh Jagarlapudi stays focused on the core plot without unnecessary romantic tracks and handles some portions effectively. However, more attention should have been given to the technical execution and logical consistency.

Verdict:

Overall, Mahendragiri Varahi is a mystery thriller with a few engaging moments. The opening, interval and climax portions work well, and the twists are handled effectively. However, the film falls short in terms of logic and technical finesse. The middle portions are not very effective, making it an okay watch.