Mahendragiri Varahi has finally hit theatres today, September 11. It brings its much-talked-about mystery surrounding Goddess Varahi, a royal family’s curse and a series of unexplained deaths to the big screen.
Directed by Santosh Jagarlapudi, the film stars Sumanth as Siddharth, with Meenakshi Goswami as the female lead. Brahmanandam, Vennela Kishore, Rajiv Kanakala, Manju Bhargavi and others appear in key roles, while Siddhu Jonnalagadda makes a special appearance.
The film’s promotional material had already created considerable curiosity around its story. But does Mahendragiri Varahi actually deliver on that promise? Here’s what works and what doesn’t in this recently released film.
Mahendragiri Varahi Review: An Intriguing Story At The Centre
The story is set in Mahendragiri, a village near Vizianagaram where Goddess Varahi is worshipped as the village deity. The royal family of the village is believed to be under Varahimata’s curse. According to the legend, the heir of the family dies in an accident at the age of 33.
Sumanth plays Siddharth, a YouTuber from Hyderabad who exposes fraud carried out in the name of religion. A series of unexpected events takes him to the Mahendragiri Varahi temple where he gets caught up in a mystery that involves his own family and the royal household.
When Siddharth’s brother Rajiv and another member of the family die along with the royal heir, several questions arise. Is Varahimata’s curse actually real? Why is the royal family being targeted? And why are Siddharth’s family members getting caught up in it?
These questions keep the story interesting and form the main mystery of the film.
Mahendragiri Varahi Review: The First Half Keeps You Curious
Mahendragiri Varahi starts on a promising note. The deaths and the mystery surrounding the royal family immediately create curiosity while the film takes its time establishing the central conflict.
One of the better decisions in the writing is to keep the actual reason behind the curse hidden for much of the first half. The events initially make it appear that a divine force is responsible for the deaths which keeps the proceedings engaging.
The interval also comes with an unexpected moment that raises more questions and sets up the second half well.
Siddhu Jonnalagadda’s cameo is another highlight. His appearance is brief but the character has an important role in taking the story forward.
Mahendragiri Varahi Review: The Second Half Loses Some Pace
The film faces its biggest challenge after the interval. The pace slows down as Siddharth begins investigating the deaths and trying to understand why a goddess would supposedly kill members of a family.
The investigation eventually leads to several revelations and the twists are among the better parts of the second half. Some of them are difficult to predict that allows the film to retain its mystery.
But getting to those revelations takes longer than necessary. Certain portions could have been trimmed to make the narrative tighter and more engaging.
The graphics are another area where the film could have done better. Some important moments would have had a greater impact with stronger visual effects.
Mahendragiri Varahi Review: Sumanth Is Sincere In His Role
Sumanth plays Siddharth, an atheist YouTuber who spends his time exposing fraudulent activities carried out in the name of devotion. The actor brings sincerity to the character especially once Siddharth starts investigating the mysterious deaths.
The role isn’t entirely unfamiliar territory for Sumanth, who has played characters with similar shades before. Still, he handles the part well and remains convincing as the film’s central investigator.
Meenakshi Goswami and Manju Bhargavi perform well within the scope of their characters. Kamal Kamaraju has a more limited role.
Brahmanandam and Vennela Kishore make their presence felt in supporting roles. Siddhu Jonnalagadda, despite having limited screen time, gets a character that has a noticeable impact on the narrative.
Mahendragiri Varahi Review: Writing Works, Execution Could Be Better
The film’s writing has some good ideas, particularly in the way it holds back the reason behind the curse and slowly reveals the truth.
The entire film also carries a noticeably dark atmosphere which suits the mystery surrounding the temple and the royal family. The songs and background score complement the proceedings, while the production values are decent.
At the same time, the director doesn’t always manage to execute the ideas as effectively as the writing demands. The pacing could have been sharper, while better graphics would have helped some of the bigger moments land with more impact.
Mahendragiri Varahi Review: Final Verdict
Mahendragiri Varahi has a strong central mystery and some genuinely interesting twists. The first half succeeds in building curiosity while the pre-climax and climax provide a satisfying conclusion to the story.
