BOTTOM LINE
Rustic Setup, Patchy Payoff
RATING
2.25/5
CENSOR
A, 2h 35m
What Is the Film About?
Bhairavam’s story follows three close friends — Varada (Nara Rohith), Gajapathi (Manchu Manoj), and Seenu (Bellamkonda Sreenivas) — whose lives take a drastic turn when a politician targets ₹1000 crore worth of Temple land, dragging them into a trap of betrayal and survival.
Performances
Bhairavam features three well-known heroes in the lead roles, and importantly, all of them are given meaningful parts. None of the characters feel like forced additions to the story, and each has a role that fits into the plot organically. In terms of performances, all three deliver well, but which performance connects more will depend on individual viewer preference, largely due to how their characters are designed.
Starting with Bellamkonda Sreenivas — for the most part, his character comes across as subtle and mild, especially in the first half where it feels like he’s mainly present for the songs and dance numbers. However, his role becomes more important in the second half, where he gets a couple of well-executed blocks that allow him to make an impact.
Manchu Manoj’s character is loud most of the time, regardless of the situation. It’s nice to see him back on screen after a long break. Had the writing for his character been stronger, his aggression and loudness could have been more impactful. That said, his dialogue delivery at times reminds his father Mohan Babu, which isn’t necessarily a drawback.
Nara Rohith comes as a surprise package. He plays an aggressive character, delivering a mature performance. His gray hair and bulked-up physique suit this particular role, and he delivers his part with conviction.
Overall, all three heroes do justice to their respective roles and contribute well to the film.
Analysis
Bhairavam is directed by Vijay Kanakamedala who earlier delivered films like Naandhi and Ugram. This time, he returns with a remake. The film opens by introducing the three main characters — Seenu, Varada and Gajapathi — with their typical massy entries and a couple of fights that help establish their personalities and relationships.
While the setup promises a rooted rural action drama, it quickly becomes clear that the character establishment lacks emotional depth. The narrative moves briskly, but the writing doesn’t allow the audience to truly connect with the leads, staying at a surface level.
For nearly the first 45 minutes, Seenu’s character (played by Bellamkonda Sreenivas) appears to exist only for songs and dances. Nara Rohith brings the required intensity, and Manchu Manoj does his part by being loud and aggressive, but overall, the writing feels dated. The presentation style and screenplay in the early portions further add to this old-fashioned vibe.
However, things start to improve from the pre-interval segment. The plot involving the ornaments and land documents adds intrigue. The interval block is well-executed — not groundbreaking, but decently engaging. While it does remind us of similar sequences from Kantara, the interval scene stands out and is handled effectively. The action episode feels quite long, almost like a climax, but it holds attention and is well-staged.
That said, the film ends its first half without leaving behind a strong hook or a tense moment that truly builds excitement for the second half.
To sum up, Bhairavam’s first half suffers from dated writing and ordinary execution early on, but gains momentum closer to the interval with a well-executed block that offers some promise going forward.
The second half also starts off in a very routine manner, with yet another dance number featuring Bellamkonda Sreenivas. However, what follows makes the rest of the second half fairly engaging.
The entire Mamidi Thota episode, which introduces a major twist to Nara Rohith’s character, is well-executed with enough tense moments to hold the audience’s attention. The subsequent drama and bits of emotion help keep the momentum going through the remainder of the film.
In the climax, the director brings in a divine element for Bellamkonda’s character, somewhat reminiscent of Kantara. However, this doesn’t fully land, as the concept feels forced. There is no proper build-up or precursor drama that would allow this divine angle to make a strong positive impact. Still, it works to some extent in breaking away from a completely routine climax, even if it doesn’t serve much purpose beyond that.
Overall, Bhairavam suffers from an outdated and weak first half, weighed down by unnecessary songs. However, the second half offers better drama and action, though it wraps up with an okayish ending, making it a decent one-time watch.
Performances by Others Actors
Bhairavam features a few well-known and talented supporting actors, but not all of them are utilized effectively. Starting with Vennela Kishore — his role is extremely patchy and forgettable. It feels like much of his part was chopped out in the final cut, as he makes only a couple of brief, random appearances. Unfortunately, this once again highlights how the direction team fails to utilize him properly; even his comedy track doesn’t make much sense or add any value.
Jayasudha appears in a brief grandmother role and delivers her part well. Ajay, Sampath Raj and Sandeep Raj play their parts well fitting into the narrative.
When it comes to the female leads, they don’t have typical heroine roles. The actresses paired opposite the three heroes serve more as supporting characters, with the exception of Aditi Shankar, who appears opposite Bellamkonda Sreenivas mainly for the dance numbers. Overall, all three female characters come across more as part of the supporting cast rather than significant leads in the film.
Music and Other Departments?
The music for Bhairavam is composed by Sricharan Pakala. When it comes to the songs, there isn’t much to praise him — they are typical commercial numbers that are easily forgotten once they’re off the screen. However, Sricharan truly delivers when it comes to the background score. His work becomes a strong value addition, especially in elevating the action blocks with his impactful score. This is where his contribution really supports the film.
The cinematography by Hari K Vedantam is quite decent. Visually, the film maintains a consistent and authentic feel from start to finish, which works well for its rural backdrop. Editing by Chota K Prasad is mostly fine, but there are a few patchy and abrupt transitions that could have been better handled with tighter cuts.
The production values from Sri Sathya Sai Arts are adequate and well-suited for a rural action film like Bhairavam . The film carries an authentic and grounded production design that fits the setting well.
Highlights?
Second half
All three lead actors
A few action blocks and the BGM
Drawbacks?
Dull first half
Lacks emotional depth
Forced dance numbers
Weak ending
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, more so in the second half, but not fully.
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, if you don’t mind a dull first half and an okay-ish ending.
Bhairavam Movie Review by M9
Bhairavam U.S. Premiere Report:
Bhairavam’s first half feels dated and ordinary but gains momentum closer to the interval. The second half offers more engaging drama with a couple of well-executed episodes, making it a decent one-time watch overall. The casting is apt, and all three heroes deliver in their respective roles. Watch out for M9’s detailed review.
— Bhairavam begins with the introduction of the three heroes, a couple of fights that establish their characters and relationships, and a temple connection added into the mix. Stay tuned for the report.
Bhairavam directed by Vijay Kanakamedala—who previously delivered Naandhi and Ugram—is back with a rural, rustic action film. This time, he brings together three well-known faces: Bellamkonda Sreenivas, Manchu Manoj, and Nara Rohith. Let’s find out if he has delivered another impactful film with multiple heroes on board.
Cast: Bellamkonda Sreenivas, Manchu Manoj, Nara Rohith
Screenplay & Direction: Vijay Kanakamedala
Producer: KK Radhamohan
Banner: Sri Sathya Sai Arts
Cinematographer: Hari K Vedantam
Production Designer: Brahma Kadali
Editor: Chota K Prasad
Music: Sricharan Pakala
Dialogues: Satyarshi, Toom Venkat
Songs: Bhaskara Bhatla, Kasarla Shyam, Chaitanya Prasad, Purnachary Challuri,Tirupati
Fight Masters: Ramakrishna, Nataraj Madigonda
U.S. Distributor: Prathyangira Cinemas
Bhairavam (2025) Telugu Movie Review by M9
