Movie: Mahendragiri Varahi
Rating: 2.25/5
Banner: Rajashyamala Entertainments, Bridge Films
Cast: Sumanth, Meenakshi Goswami, Aishwarya Rajesh, Malvika Nair, Manju Bhargavi, Brahmanandam, Rajeev Kanakala, Vennela Kishore, Vamsee Chaganti, Kamal Kamaraju, Srinivas Vadlamani and others.
Music Director: Anup Rubens
DOP: Pratap R Krishna
Editor: Junaid Siddiqui
Producers: Madhu Kalipu, Laxman
Written and Directed by: Santhosh Jagarlapudi
Release Date: September 11, 2026
The team of "Mahendragiri Varahi" has gone all out with promotions over the past few months. By tapping into the current trend of divine-themed films, the makers managed to create considerable attention around the movie. But has the divine feeling really touched the hearts of the audience?
Let’s find out.
Story
Mahendragiri temple is situated near Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh. According to the film, a curse by Goddess Varahi causes the successive male members of a royal dynasty to die on their 33rd birthday. The curse continues across generations.
The current female head of the family (Manju Bhargavi), after the death of her son (Siddhu Jonnalagadda), raises her daughter’s son Nagendra Varma (Vamsi Chaganti) as the successor to the family.
Siddharth (Sumanth), a YouTuber from Hyderabad, arrives at the temple along with his brother Rajeev. Both Nagendra Varma and Rajeev share the same 33rd birthday, and both die at the temple. Siddharth then begins his mission to unravel the mystery behind these deaths.
Performances
Though Sumanth plays the protagonist, there is not much for him to do. He does what he usually does, but does not bring anything particularly new to the role. More importantly, he looks too aged for the part. His face makes it difficult to believe that he is an unmarried 30-year-old YouTuber. Kamal Kamaraju, who plays his elder brother, actually looks much younger than Sumanth.
Siddhu Jonnalagadda, Aishwarya Rajesh and Malavika Nair make cameo appearances. The film also boasts a large ensemble cast. Among them, the twists involving Vennela Kishore and Brahmanandam work largely because of their performances in the final portions. Rajeev Kanakala is okay, while Manju Bhargavi is decent as the grandmother.
Technical Aspects
Except for Anup Rubens’ background score, the technical departments do not add much to the film. The editing is also weak and could have been sharper.
Highlights
Interval episode
Twists in the final portions
Drawbacks
Convenient writing
Weak middle portion
Ineffective divine-related moments
Analysis
The moment we hear about an entire lineage being cursed by divine wrath, with the men in the family dying one after another, it is hard not to think of Mahesh Babu’s hit film "Murari", directed by Krishna Vamsi. The way director Santhosh begins "Mahendragiri Varahi" and takes the story forward carries a similar flavour at times. However, the fact that the deaths occur precisely on the 33rd birthday, along with the revenge-driven backstory woven around the curse, gives this film a slightly different identity.
The film opens on an interesting note, introducing the history of the Mahendragiri estate, the legend surrounding Goddess Varahi and the series of deaths that have haunted the family. The introduction of Siddhu Jonnalagadda as Rajendra Varma and the drama built around his character add to the conflict.
Once Sumanth’s family enters Mahendragiri, the narrative picks up pace. The death of the hero’s brother and the developments leading to the interval raise expectations for the second half. The interval episode, in particular, manages to generate curiosity.
The investigation gives the second half an interesting start, but the thrill gradually wears off as the story moves forward. The hero gets answers to several questions surrounding him without having to put in much effort himself. The connection between his brother and the Mahendragiri lineage is also fairly easy to figure out.
The director relies heavily on twists, but misses out on a few logical aspects while building the mystery. The divine intervention happens only towards the end.
This raises a basic question: if so many murders have been taking place in the name of Varahi, right in front of her, why does she remain silent until the hero enters the picture? The film offers no convincing explanation for this. As a result, the divine intervention feels more like a convenient plot device than an organic part of the story.
The middle portions are more troublesome. The investigation lacks the required intensity, and several questions get resolved too easily. The film had enough material to build a stronger mystery, but the writing does not extract the maximum potential from the premise.
At the same time, some of the revelations connected to the curse carry an emotional touch, and the twists involving a few key characters in the final portions work reasonably well. These moments keep the film from completely losing its grip.
A mystery thriller like this also needs strong technical support, and "Mahendragiri Varahi" struggles on that front. The VFX is not up to the mark, while the use of AI-generated visuals becomes distracting at times. Aishwarya Rajesh’s cameo does not work either. Her character and the way the revelation is handled come across as convenience rather than impactful.
On the whole, "Mahendragiri Varahi" tries to make the most of the current trend of divine-themed films and does deliver a few decent moments, particularly the interval episode and the twists involving some key characters. However, the film misses out on logical consistency and technical finesse. At times, it feels more like a convenient attempt to cash in on the current divine-themed formula than a genuinely compelling film.
Bottom Line: Not Fully Immersive
