VanaVeera Review: A Mediocre Action Drama Struggling Between Politics and Mythology

VanaVeera is a 2026 Telugu-language action political drama written by Vishwajit and directed by Avinash Thiruveedhula. The film stars Avinash Thiruveedhula and Simran Choudhary in the lead roles, with Nandu, Tarzan Laxminarayana, Pruthvi, Kona Venkat, Satya, Aamani, Sivaji Raja, Chammak Chandra, Racha Ravi, and others appearing in supporting roles. The music is composed by Vivek Sagar, while the film is produced by Avinash Buyani, Alapati Raja, and Ankith Reddy under the banners of Asian Cinemas, Silver Screen Cinemas LLP, and Shanthanu Pathi.
Story:
Set in Varapuram, a village in the Godavari district, the story follows Raghu (Avinash), a humble man living with his family on the margins of society due to caste discrimination. His quiet life takes a turn when election season begins in the village. Deva (Nandu), an influential upper-caste politician portrayed with shades of a modern-day Ravana, forcibly takes away Raghu’s beloved bike for a political rally and never returns it.
What begins as a simple personal conflict slowly expands into a larger fight for self-respect. The narrative attempts to draw parallels with the Ramayana while showcasing Raghu’s journey of resistance and dignity.
What about on-screen performances?
Avinash Thiruveedhula delivers a sincere and fairly effective performance. His screen presence works well, especially in the action sequences and emotional moments. While he shows promise, there is still scope for improvement in body language consistency and dialogue delivery.
Nandu stands out as the film’s strongest performer. As Deva, he convincingly portrays a ruthless and manipulative politician and brings intensity to every scene he appears in.
Simran Choudhary, however, feels miscast as the village belle. Her look, dialogue delivery, and dubbing fail to match the rural setting, which affects the authenticity of her character.
Satya makes a late but memorable appearance with a parody-style comedy sequence that lands well. Tarzan Laxminarayana provides a few light moments in the first half.
Pruthvi, Kona Venkat, Aamani, Sivaji Raja, Chammak Chandra, Racha Ravi, and others are given limited scope, resulting in largely forgettable roles.
What about off-screen talents?
Vishwajit’s story has an interesting core idea but suffers from uneven execution. The writing attempts to blend politics, caste dynamics, action, and mythology, but lacks focus, resulting in a diluted narrative.
The screenplay is one of the film’s weaker aspects. A story driven by hero–villain conflict demands sharper, more grounded writing, which is missing here. Several commercial elements and diversions reduce the rawness of the central conflict.
The repeated use of mythological references and divine symbolism feels forced and loosely connected to the main plot. Even the caste discrimination angle, which could have added emotional depth, remains underdeveloped.
Director Avinash Thiruveedhula shows decent control over visuals and staging but struggles with narration. The lack of strong character establishment weakens emotional engagement, making several serious moments fall flat.
Sai Madhav Burra’s dialogues are serviceable but lack the punch needed for confrontational scenes. Stronger lines could have elevated the drama significantly.
Vivek Sagar’s songs fail to leave a lasting impression, but his background score works well in action blocks and key emotional scenes.
Sujatha Siddharth’s cinematography is impressive and adds richness to the visuals. Chota K. Prasad’s editing could have been tighter, especially in the second half.
The AI-generated monkey visuals and mythological reference shots appear artificial and distracting on the big screen.
Production values are decent and consistent throughout.
What’s Hot?
Nandu’s commanding performance
Avinash Thiruveedhula’s sincere effort
Strong cinematography and decent production values
Satya’s parody comedy sequence
Effective background score in key moments
What’s Not?
Underwhelming story with familiar caste tropes
Dull and unfocused screenplay
Weakly established characters
Limited emotional impact
Dubbing issues (notably Simran Choudhary and Aamani)
Forced mythological references
Forgettable songs
Verdict:
Overall, VanaVeera is a modest and uneven attempt that shows flashes of intent but falters in execution. While a few performances, visuals, and comedy moments offer some relief, the film struggles to balance its political theme with unnecessary mythological elements. The result is a watchable but largely unremarkable drama that could have benefited from sharper writing and stronger emotional grounding.
Telugubulletin.com Rating: 2.25/5
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