ViralWhy418
Horror thriller · released 23 Oct 2026 · Mythri Movie Makers
Critics and viewers agree: well made, but not scary. Critics praise Chaithra J Achar's performance, the sound design and the atmosphere, but say it settles into a familiar horror template. Viewers say the same thing more bluntly. "Not scary" and "overhyped" are the top complaints, and many blame the trailer and the Prashanth Neel name for raising expectations.
What people liked
What they did not
Vote and see the live meters →Cast: Chaithra J Achar, Surya Raj, Charan Lakkaraju · Directed by Kirtan Nadagouda · Presented by Prashanth Neel
Box office
| Figure | What it is |
|---|---|
| ₹13.13 Cr | worldwide gross |
| ₹9.72 Cr | India net |
| ₹6 Cr | reported budget (press report, Gulte) |
day 6, to 28 Oct · tracker estimates, gross is not the producer's share · Sacnilk
Critic reviews
| Critic | Verdict | In brief |
|---|---|---|
| MovieTalkies Sameer Ahire | 2.5/5 | An intriguing first half and Yakshagana-tinged flashback are squandered by a weak climax; good cast and sound, but murky visuals. |
| The Hollywood Reporter India Sruthi Ganapathy Raman | mixed | Admires the hallucinatory first half, sound and Chaithra J Achar, but the familiar plot never weaves its motherhood themes into the horror. |
| The Hollywood Reporter India Kairam Vaashi | mixed | Technically assured horror with a fine Chaithra J Achar, held back by hurried writing, sketchy characters and contrived reveals. |
| GreatAndhra venkat | 2.5/5 | Chaithra Achar, sound design and an absorbing flashback impress, while a slow start, recycled scares and a limp finale drag it down. |
| Cinejosh Rambabu | 2.5/5 | Reasonably engaging horror with solid acting, a strong score and a couple of twists, though scares repeat and the plot is predictable. |
| Flickonclick Mohan Nasre | 2.5/5 | Strong opening, thoughtful angle on women's mental health and moody camera and music, but a sagging middle and repetitive jump scares disappoint. |
| BigTV Madhu Sudhan | 2.5/5 | Middling horror that genre fans may enjoy for Chaithra J Achar, the score and visuals; a confusing climax and logic gaps hurt. |
| Telugu Cinema Jalapathy Gudelli | 2.5/5 | The Devika-centred middle stretch and Chaithra Achar are worth it; elsewhere, slow setup, repetition, few scares and an unrewarding climax. |
| Gulte Satya | 2.25/5 | Promising idea and opening, but a flat screenplay, scarce scares, long runtime and heavy Kannada flavour make it tiring; the score helps. |
| Telugu360 sankar | 2.25/5 | A sealed-room medical-college premise pitting science against superstition intrigues, but a repetitive second half, excess length and loose ends sap suspense. |
| M9 News Kalyan | 2.0/5 | Beyond a promising setup, good sound and Chaithra Achar, it leans on loud noises over real fear and ends chaotically; not recommended. |
| TV9 Telugu Lakshminarayana Varanasi | mixed | Good hook, score and cinematography plus a standout Chaithra J Achar, but formulaic scares, a dragging flashback and an overlong runtime. |
In the news
Stars
How it works: the Critic Meter is the share of named critics who liked the film (mixed counts half, from 3 reviews); the Seeti Meter is the share of Telugu viewers' comments under YouTube reviews that liked it, after removing fan-war and copy-paste comments; the ViralWhy Score weighs people 60%, critics 25% and creators 15%.