Brahma Anandam, which was released in theaters on February 14, 2025, is a Telugu comedy drama written and directed by RVS Nikhil. Produced by Rahul Yadav Nakka under the banner of Swadharm Entertainments, the film stars Brahmanandam, his son Raja Gautham, Vennela Kishore, Priya Vadlamani, Talluri Rameshwari, Sampath Raj, and Rajiv Kanakala in the lead roles. The film, which has music by Sandilya Peesapati, cinematography by Mitesh Parvataneni, and editing by Praneeth Kumar, created a lot of hype before its release with the grandfather-grandson duo of Brahmanandam-Raja Gautham and its Valentine's Day release. How much did this movie, which was released with a runtime of 148 minutes and a U/A rating, impress the Telugu audience? Let's see my feelings, highlights, and shortcomings in this review!
What's in the story?
Brahma alias Brahmanandam (Raja Gautam) is a struggling theater artist living in Hyderabad. With the dream of becoming a big actor, he lives amidst financial difficulties and instability in love. His girlfriend Tara (Priya Vadlamani) and best friend Giri (Vennela Kishore) support him. One day, he gets an opportunity to perform his play at the Kalarang Mahotsav in Delhi, and he needs 6 lakh rupees for it. In a situation where he has no money, he comes to know that his grandfather Ananda Ramamurthy (Brahmanandam) is staying in an old age home and goes to him. Ananda offers to sell his property in his village and give him the money, but on one condition, he takes Brahma to the village of Burradupalem. There, Ananda Ramamurthy makes a shocking decision—to marry Jyothi (Talluri Rameshwari) in his old age. What did Brahma do with this unexpected twist? Did he fulfill his grandfather's condition? Did he realize his theatrical dream? That is the story.
My Feelings: Heartfelt idea, but half-baked execution!
When I watched the trailer, I thought, “Wow, this is going to be an emotional comedy like Ranga Marthanda!” with Brahmanandam-Raja Gautam's grandfather-grandson chemistry, Vennela Kishore's comedy, and the old age love story. Brahma's struggles in the first half, scenes with Giri, and Ananda Ramamurthy's entry were decently impressive. As a user wrote on X, “Brahmanandam garu's screen presence, Vennela Kishore's comedy is life to the movie!” I agree with Anna's sentiment. The village backdrop in the second half, the love track between Ananda and Jyoti, and the grandfather-grandson bond in the climax gave heart-felt moments. But, the film as a whole did not satisfy. The emotional depth in the story and the strong connection in the grandfather-grandson relationship were missing. The screenplay was slow, and the subplots were unnecessarily dragged. Critics also highlighted this point, stating in one review, "Promising idea, but unstable narration, weak editing."
Technical aspects, acting
Technically, Brahma Anandam gave mixed results. Mitesh Parvataneni's cinematography captured the rural backdrop and Hyderabad setting decently. Sandilya Peesapati's music was okay, the songs "Anandamaye" and "Village" supported the scenes, but were not memorable. Praneeth Kumar's editing was slow and it would have been better if unnecessary scenes had been trimmed in the first half. The production values looked rich on a low budget, the costumes and art design were impressive. Brahmanandam (Ananda Ramamurthy) is the soul of the film in his acting. He has cultivated the emotional depth shown in Rangamarthanda wonderfully here too. His subtle expressions and dialogue delivery in the scenes with Jyothi touched the heart. Raja Gautham (Brahma) played the struggling artist naturally, impressed in the climax emotional scenes, but the chemistry with his grandfather seemed flat. Vennela Kishore (Giri) dominated the screen with his signature comedy timing and gave energy to the film. As a fan wrote in X, “The film would have been dull without Vennela Kishore!” Priya Vadlamani (Tara) and Talluri Rameshwari (Jyothi) did decently, but their roles lacked depth. Sampath Raj, Rajeev Kanakala, and Divija Prabhakar are okay in supporting roles, but underutilized.
Likes, Dislikes
Likes:
Brahmanandam's performance: He captivated the screen with emotional, subtle acting.
Vennela Kishore's comedy: He made us laugh with his timing and sarcastic dialogues.
Novel concept: The theme of love in old age, grandfather-grandson bond is refreshing.
Visuals: The rural setting and cinematography are impressive.
Heartfelt moments: The emotional scenes in the climax touched the heart.
Dislikes:
Slow narration: The first half dragged, unnecessary subplots bored.
Weak emotional core: The grandfather-grandson relationship is at the surface level.
Underdeveloped romance: The Ananda-Jyoti love track lacks depth and screen time.
Poor Editing: Overstretched scenes, dubbing issues disturbed.
Predictable Twists: Predictable turns in the story reduced the freshness.
Who should watch it?
Brahma Anandam is a decent watch for Brahmanandam fans, those who like emotional comedy dramas like Ranga Marthanda and Pilla Zamindar. Audiences who enjoy Vennela Kishore comedy and slow-paced family dramas may like it. With a U/A rating, there is mild comedy, emotional scenes, and family dynamics, so it can be watched with family, parents, and grandparents. However, the film may disappoint Telugu audiences who are expecting high-energy mass entertainers like Pushpa 2 and Matka or tight screenplays. Mixed reviews (3/5, 2.5/5) on social media with the tag “#BrahmaAnandam” and mediocre box office collections indicate the limited success of the film.
Rating: 2.5/5
Brahma Anandam gave some heartfelt moments with its novel concept, Brahmanandam’s emotional performance, Vennela Kishore’s comedy, and Raja Gautham’s decent acting. However, slow narration, weak screenplay, underdeveloped emotional core, and poor editing stopped the film from being great. RVS Nikhil started with a brilliant idea, but the execution falters. For those who want to enjoy a bit of slow time with the family, it is a time watch in the theater, but not a memorable experience. Even though it is Brahmanandam’s show, it lacks the heartwarming punch that Telugu cinema needs!
Release Date: February 14, 2025 (Theatres)
Streaming: Not yet released on OTT (possibly on Aha Video)
Director: RVS Nikhil
Writer: RVS Nikhil
Cast: Brahmanandam, Raja Gautham, Vennela Kishore, Priya Vadlamani, Talluri Rameshwari
Rating: U/A (Mild Comedy, Emotional Scenes, Family Drama)