Raakaasa is a 2026 Telugu-language fantasy horror comedy written and directed by Manasa Sharma. The film has Sangeeth Shobhan & Nayan Sarika playing the lead roles while Vennela Kishore, Brahmaji, Tanikella Bharani, Ashish Vidyarthi, Getup Srinu, Sukhwinder Singh, Anoop Singh, Vasu Inturi, Rohini, Rohan Roy & others are seen in important supporting roles. The music is composed by Anudeep Dev, and the film is produced by Niharika Konidela & Umesh Kumar Bansal under Pink Elephant Pictures & Zee Studios banners.
Story:
Veera Babu (Sangeeth Shobhan), an NRI, returns home to his village after ten years to meet his lover. But he suffers a heartbreak as she marries someone else after he meets her. As he spends his break-up time in the village with his friend Balu (Getup Srinu), Veera Babu falls in love with another girl from the village named Subba Lakshmi (Nayan Sarika).
On the other side, the village is feared by an age-old tradition where they give human sacrifice to an ancient evil that they believe is present inside a thousand-year-old palace in their village. They do this for the well-being of the village. How will a small mistake from Veera Babu turn things on his head and make him go inside the palace? What will happen after he enters the palace? Needs to be seen in the film.
What about on-screen performances?
Sangeeth Shobhan gives out a decent performance. His screen presence, dialogue delivery, and comic timing work perfectly. He is in his element while doing his trademark comedy and is too funny with his one-liners and expressions in a few scenes.
Getup Srinu’s comedy and his funny antics are the biggest strengths of the film. All his scenes with Sangeeth work well at regular intervals in both the halves.
Nayan Sarika doesn’t get much scope to prove her acting. It is a typical love interest role where she goes after the hero for no good reason. Also, it is a kind of role which she has been doing right from her first film.
Vennela Kishore makes a late entry in the second half and entertains fairly well in his short span. But his characterisation and his comedy timing aren’t tapped to the fullest.
Brahmaji, Tanikella Bharani, Ashish Vidyarthi, Sukhwinder Singh, Anoop Singh, Vasu Inturi, Rohini, Rohan Roy & others are fine in small supporting roles.
What about off-screen talents?
The story by Manasa Sharma is good. Though the core idea of giving human sacrifice for an evil force has been seen in many films in the past, this point is laced with some good comedy and a refreshing fantasy element.
The screenplay by Manasa Sharma & Mahesh Uppala has a few good moments, but overall, it doesn’t live up to the mark. The hero intro scene, the break-up portions, and the pre-interval sequence with the interval twist make the first half a decent watch. But it looks stretched for no reason, especially in the entire second half of the film. The climax, however, gives out a meaningful message and ends on a positive note.
Director Manasa Sharma makes a superb debut with this film and does an excellent job with her presentation. But her narrative is very predictable and needed to be even more engaging. But kudos to her for trying out a different genre, and the blend of fantasy, horror and comedy is done right. Had the lead characterisations and the subplots been written effectively, this would surely have been a memorable film.
The dialogues are good. A few one-liners and punch lines are witty and well-written.
The songs by Anudeep Dev are foot-tapping. But this film and genre did not need as many songs as there are in the film. However, the Snake Dance song is the best one of the album, and the other songs are good to hear. Also, his background score is excellent and lifts all the key moments properly.
The cinematography by Raju Edurolu is good, but his lighting isn’t up to the mark. Most of the frames look too dark and blurry, especially in the second half of the film, inside the palace.
The edit by Anwar Ali needed to be a lot more sharper. Although the film is only about 2 hours and 13 minutes, the film feels dragged out with many unwanted and stretched-out scenes.
The production design by Ramanjaneyulu and the artwork by Vishnu Vardhan Pulla are ordinary. The set design and the props used in the film could’ve been a lot better and more creative.
The costumes by Sandhya Sabbavarapu aren’t noteworthy as they look very ordinary.
The production values by Pink Elephant Pictures & Zee Studios are adequate.
What’s Hot?
* Sangeeth Shobhan’s Performance
* Getup Srinu & Vennela Kishore’s Comedy
* Superb Background Score & Snake Dance Song
* Interval Scene & A Few Fun Scenes Inside The Palace
* Few Well Written Witty One-Liners
* Meaningful Climax
What’s Not?
* Predictable Screenplay
* Drama Isn’t Engaging Enough
* Poor Love Track & Dull Sub Plots
* Couple Of Unwanted Songs
* Dragged Out Second Half
* Weak VFX/Graphics
Verdict: Firstly, it is good to see a film led by a male actor which is directed and produced by women. Sangeeth Shobhan powers the film with his hilarious performance along with Getup Srinu & Vennela Kishore, who add their Midas touch in their respective comedy portions. If you can ignore the little drawbacks in this genuine attempt, then this is a film which should be seen in a packed auditorium. Overall, Raakaasa is a watchable fantasy-horror-comedy that works well for families and the kids.
Telugubulletin.com Rating: 2.75/5