Pothugadda is a Telugu action-political thriller, written by Raksha Veeram and directed by Anupama Chandra and produced by Sarath Chandra Reddy, which started streaming on the ETV Win OTT platform on January 30, 2025. Starring Prithvi Dandamudi and Vismaya Sri in the lead roles, with Aadukalam Naren, Shatru, Prashanth Karthi and Advik Bandaru in key roles, the film weaves a story of love, politics and faction in the backdrop of Kurnool. It was released with a U/A rating with a runtime of 2 hours and 26 minutes, with cinematography by Rahul Srivastava, music by Shravan Bharadwaj, background score by Marcus M, and editing by Sivakiran. This low-budget film, which skipped the theatrical release and came directly on OTT, generated interest with its trailer. How did they show love, honor, and the game of politics in the context of Rayalaseema? Let's see my feelings, highlights, and shortcomings in this review!
What's in the story?
There is political tension in the Pothugadda constituency of Kurnool during the election. Sitting MLA Samudra (Aadukalam Naren) appoints his daughter Geetha (Kreeha Raj) as the youth president to maintain his power. His opponent Bhaskar (Shatru), who was defeated by Samudra in the past, transports Rs. 50 crores in a bus to distribute money to voters to win this time. This bus is targeted by the police and politicians. In this same bus, lovers Kittu (Prithvi Dandamudi) and Geetha leave their village for their love. However, their journey is jeopardized when the bus is hijacked. What happened to Kittu and Geetha's love, caught up in this political conspiracy? Who owns the Rs. 50 crores? Who is the gang that haunts the bus? That is the story.
My feelings: Good backdrop, but emotions are flat!
When I watched the trailer of Pothugadda, I felt that it would be a love story along with a Rayalaseema faction, political drama in the style of Aravinda Sametha. The bus journey setting, political intrigues, Naren's acting and Shatru's performances were impressive. As a user wrote on X, "The trailer is intense, Shatru's dialogues, Naren's screen presence are super!" I agree with the sentiment. Reviews from Hindustan Times (3/5), ap7am (3.5/5) praised the bus journey setting, performances, and cinematography. However, reviews from OTTplay (2.5/5), telugu.abplive (2/5) criticized the lack of emotional connect, lack of depth in the love story, and routine narration. The IMDb rating of 6.7/10 shows a mixed response to the film. The story slows down in the second half, the love story feels forced, and the emotions seem superficial. While the Rayalaseema accent is good, it lacks the intensity or emotional depth of a stage-level Pushpa.
Technical aspects, acting
Technically, Potugadda is strong. Rahul Srivastava's cinematography shows the rugged landscapes of Kurnool and the bus journey realistically and claustrophobically. Marcus M's background score gives elevation to the thrilling scenes, but Shravan Bharadwaj's songs disturb the story. Although Shivkiran's editing is smooth, the scenes that dragged in the second half need to be tightened. Raksha Veeram dialogues are decent in Rayalaseema dialect, for example, the line “If you fight for power, even a girl will be killed!” is a highlight. The production values are neat for a low-budget film.
Naren (Samudra) is the strength of the film in acting. His screen presence as a politician and his dialogue delivery are intense. The ap7am review highlighted his “ambition vs honor” struggle. Shatru (Bhaskar) did an effective job as a villain, and his Rayalaseema role after Pushpa once again attracted attention. Prithvi Dandamudi (Kittu) and Kriha Raj (Geetha) did a decent job, but their chemistry and emotional scenes did not make an impact. The telugu.abplive review criticized their love story as a “fail”. Prashanth Karthi and Advik Bandaru are okay in supporting roles, but the characters feel underdeveloped.
Likes and Dislikes
Likes:
Aadukalam Naren and Shatru's acting: Both impressed with their intense performances as politicians.
Bus Journey Setting: The claustrophobic bus hijack scenes were thrilling.
Cinematography: Rahul Srivastava's camera work showcased the rugged visuals of Rayalaseema well.
BGM: Marcus M's score gave elevation to the action and tension scenes.
Rayalaseema Accent: Seema's accent in the dialogues was natural and attractive.
Dislikes:
Lack of emotional connect: The love story, father-daughter bond felt superficial and forced.
Routine narration: The honor and political story reminded me of movies like Aravinda Sametha, there was nothing new.
Slow second half: Dragging scenes and unnecessary songs disturbed the story.
Weak love story: Prithvi-Kreeha's chemistry and lack of emotional depth were disappointing.
Underdeveloped characters: Supporting characters lack scope and the impact of the story is reduced.
Who can watch it?
A decent watch for those who like faction dramas like Pothugadda Rayalaseema backdrop, Pushpa, Rangasthalam, Aadukaalam Naren, Shatru fans, and OTT audience who enjoy ETV Win originals. There is mild action and political drama with a U/A rating, so youth and family audience can watch it on ETV Win. “Bus scenes are thrilling, but love story is cringe,” a user commented on Reddit, showing the movie’s vibe. However, those expecting emotional depth like Sivarapalli or intense thrills on the level of Hanuman might be disappointed. telugu.abplive review suggested “This movie can be easily skipped,” highlighting the movie’s limitations.
Rating: 2.5/5
Pothugadda Aadukaalam impressed with Naren, Shatru’s performances, bus journey setting, Rayalaseema accent, and the cinematography. However, the lack of emotional connect, routine narration, weak love story, and slow second half kept the movie a half-success. Raksha Veeram started with an interesting backdrop, but fell behind in emotions and script depth. A watch for those who like Rayalaseema thrillers, but a disappointment for those expecting a flower-level impact!
Release Date: January 30, 2025 (ETV Win)
Director: Raksha Veeram
Cast: Prithvi Dandamudi, Vismaya Sri, Aadukalam Naren, Shatru, Prashanth Karthi
Rating: U/A (Action, Political Drama, Romance)