Movie: Jatadhara
Rating: 1.5/5
Banner: Zee Studios, Prerna Arora
Cast: Sudheer Babu, Sonakshi Sinha, Divya Khossla (special appearance), Shilpa Shirodkar, Indira Krishna, Ravi Prakash, Jhansi, Rajeev Kanakala, Srinivas Avarsala, and others
Dialogues: Sai Krishna Karne, Shyam Babu Meriga
Director of Photography: Sameer Kalyani
Editor: Karthika Srinivas
Action director: Ajay Thakur
Producers: Umesh Kumar Bansal, Shivin Narang, Aruna Agarwal, Prerna Arora, Shilpa Singhal, Nikhil Nanda
Written and directed by: Venkat Kalyan & Abhishek Jaiswal
Release Date: November 7, 2025
There hasn’t been much buzz around Jatadhara, but Sudheer Babu made a last-minute effort to boost the film’s visibility through promotional activities.
Let’s see how it performs.
Story:
Shiva (Sudheer Babu) visits several haunted places to capture paranormal activity but never succeeds.
One unexpected incident at home turns his life upside down when he learns that his parents (Rajeev Kanakala and Jhansi) are actually his foster parents.
Who are his real parents? What’s the connection between his recurring dream about the past and the mysterious Rudraram village he’s been warned not to visit?
Artistes’ Performances:
Sudheer Babu has little to do in the first half, merely roaming around trying to record ghosts. His role gains significance only in the final act, where he performs a spiritual ritual. While his Shiva Tandavam sequence is well-executed, the character overall lacks heroism.
Sonakshi Sinha, making her Telugu debut as Dhana Pisasachi, gets prominence only in the climax. Beyond her striking screen presence, there isn’t much to note about her performance.
Divya Khosla, playing Sudheer Babu’s archaeologist girlfriend, feels miscast and looks out of place beside him.
Naveen Neni, as the friend, has an insignificant role, while Srinivasa Avasarala delivers a routine performance.
Shilpa Shirodkar and Ravi Prakash get slightly stronger parts, whereas Rajeev Kanakala and Jhansi are restricted to formulaic roles.
Technical Excellence:
There’s little to appreciate on the technical front, except for the production design. The cinematography, music, and visual effects are all subpar, while the editing is even weaker.
The writing lacks depth and creativity, leaving the narrative flat and uninspired. The film includes two songs, both of which fail to make an impact.
Highlights:
None
Drawback:
Unconvincing plot
Boring narration
Weak characterization for the lead actor
Direction is at short film level
Analysis
Jatadhara is directed not by one but by two filmmakers — and surprisingly, neither seems to possess even the basic sense of storytelling. Their direction lacks finesse and often feels less polished than a typical YouTube short.
For instance, in one scene, Sudheer Babu watches breaking news on his phone. The camera zooms in, and he turns the phone as if showing it to someone beside him — but when the shot ends, he’s alone. It perfectly captures the film’s amateurish execution.
Another glaring example is the abrupt romantic subplot. Sudheer Babu, who doesn’t believe in ghosts and spends his time exploring haunted places, meets an archaeologist in one scene, and in the very next, she becomes his girlfriend, already talking about losing him. There’s no effort to build their emotional connection.
After a series of such irrational and illogical scenes, the film finally reveals its core — the concept of Dhana Pisachi and Nagabandhanam, an ancient ritual involving hidden underground wealth.
Sudheer Babu has little scope to perform beyond his repetitive ghost-hunting scenes in the first half. The second half shifts to a lengthy flashback about his birth and the Dhana Pisachi, played by Sonakshi Sinha. His role gains some weight only in the final act.
Even the climax, which tries to evoke devotion through Lord Shiva’s appearance and Sudheer Babu’s Shiva Tandavam, fails to deliver the intended spiritual impact. By that point, the audience is simply worn out by the dull and disjointed narration.
It’s hard to understand what made Sudheer Babu accept a film that offers him so little scope — both as a performer and as a star.
Overall, Jatadhara is a tedious, poorly crafted film that shows how some filmmakers try to mask weak storytelling with forced spiritual and “magical” elements. Unfortunately, this one collapses under a completely clueless narrative.
Bottom-line: Failed attempt