The Telugu film Mowgli, starring Roshan Kanakala and Sakshi Mhadolkar, is set in the same mould as director Sandeep Raj’s debut film Colour Photo, but struggles to give a worthy opponent to its charismatic villain.
The film industry can be a stifling place for writers and directors, at times. It demands originality, yet appreciates success, more when a proven formula backs it — a credible name, a recent hit, or a familiar reference point. If a product aims to reach the market, there is pressure to fit into a box. Mowgli, Sandeep’s sophomore film, feels like a victim of the market.
The filmmaker’s compelling debut Colour Photoand Mowgli operate on different parameters in contrasting worlds. However, their narrative designs are similar. Both films feature two young, vulnerable lovers locking horns with a despicable, yet charismatic, villain. The male protagonists, in both cases, have a loyal friend standing by them.
Mowgli (Telugu)
Director: Sandeep Raj
Cast: Roshan Kanakala, Sakshi Mhadolkar, Harsha Chemudu, Bandi Saroj Kumar
Runtime: 160 minutes
Story: A young, much-in-love couple is on the run as a bitter cop is after their lives
Mowgli’s protagonist (Roshan Kanakala) is said to be a son of the forest whose father, donning a khakhi, died at the hands of a tiger. He talks to snakes as if they are his pals. Skilled at archery, he is introduced as a force of Nature, yet remains an underdog. Bunty (Harsha Chemudu), a childhood friend, is his only lifeline. For their livelihood, they cook meals for film crews, supply junior artistes, and take on odd jobs.
Not surprisingly, the meta-film backdrop serves as an opportunity to incorporate cinematic references. Mowgli and Bunty are die-hard Prabhas fans, eagerly awaiting the star’s next shoot in their town, Parvathipuram, hoping to work with him. Mowgli is assured that Prabhas will attend his wedding in future. Furthermore, the love story brews on a set when Mowgli falls for Jasmine (Sakshi Mhadolkar), a deaf and mute girl.
Jasmine becomes the source of conflict, pitting Mowgli against a ruthless, vicious cop named Christopher Nolan (Bandi Saroj Kumar). Nolan is the film’s most fascinating character, masterfully brought alive by actor/filmmaker Bandi Saroj Kumar’s flamboyance. The story begins with him. After a pompous intro sequence, the director teases the audience with his absence; anything without Nolan pales.
Despite the arresting start, the indulgent drama around the film unit later brings down the momentum. A mob barges in when a crew member misbehaves with a local girl. The volatile ego of a star is in focus when he is complimented for a scene that actually features his dupe. A sleazy producer is desperate to woo a girl. Gossips fly thick and fast on the set, and tempers flare with the slightest provocation.
While the foundation for the love story and the bitter tussle between Mowgli and Nolan occupy centrestage before intermission, the later segments are mostly about the couple fiercely guarding themselves against all odds.
Despite Nolan’s larger-than-life dialogues, the villainy crumbles with repetitive one-liners, retorts, and warnings. The climax is an effort to ride on prevalent cultural sentiments. The intermittent calls for religious harmony, too, appear forced.
Amid these monotonous stretches, the hero’s outburst — about not being cared for and the fragility of masculinity — strikes a chord, though the director could have created a stronger reason for it. The dialogues that a human is more dangerous than a wild animal, and the opportunism of a man switching sides conveniently in the time of conflict, make a solid impression.
One cannot shake off the thought that the film would have worked better as an anti-hero story with Nolan in the forefront. He simply needed a stronger opponent and a weightier problem to confront. Also, the idea of a silent love story between Mowgli and Jasmine appears poetic on paper, but isn’t used to its potential. The woman is reduced to a fragile, passive figure as the men fight among themselves.
Roshan’s firm baritone, dialogue delivery, and physicality make him an ideal choice for Mowgli, but he needs to work on his expressions. Sakshi Mhadolkar does not get much scope to perform. Like in Telusu Kada, Harsha Chemudu brings much more to his role than just being a hero’s friend. But it is high time writers gave him something more.
If there is one performance that stands out, it is Bandi Saroj Kumar’s. He breathes fire into the proceedings. Even with the restrictive scope of the role, he does not hold back. Krishna Bhagawan gets a raw deal. Suhas has a superb cameo, modelled on Allu Arjun’s Pushpa Raj.
The cinematography by Rama Maruti M is among the film’s brighter spots, while Kaala Bhairava’s music sounds jaded. Focused writing, precision in storytelling could have done the film a world of difference. Instead, it finds ways to reinforce the same ideas and character traits in a cluttered narrative.
The silver linings for Sandeep Raj from Mowgli are the flashes of his potential in making a whistle-worthy mass film. He demonstrates fine taste for incorporating fan moments into the narrative seamlessly, coming up with witty one-liners, and raising the stakes impressively in conflicts. Ultimately, Mowgli is too weak a script to showcase them. All he needs is to aim bigger, trust his instincts, and return stronger.
Published – December 13, 2025 11:03 am IST
