''Atharva'' is a 2023 Indian

Telugu-language Telugu (; , ) is a Dravidian language native to the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where it is also the official language. Spoken by about 96 million people (2022), Telugu is the most widely spoken member of the Dravidian langua ...

crime thriller film directed by Mahesh Reddy. It marks the return of Karthik Raju as a lead actor after a hiatus and features

Simran Choudhary Simran Choudhary is an Indian actress and model who works in Telugu cinema, Telugu films. She won the title of Femina Miss India Telangana 2017. Simran made her film debut in 2014 with the Telugu film ''Hum Tum''. Early life Choudhary was bo ...

and

Ayraa Ayraa is an Indian actress who has appeared in predominately Tamil films apart from a few Telugu films. She has starred in '' Sagaa'' (2019) and '' C/O Kaadhal'' (2021). Career Ayraa appeared in over three hundred advertisement shoots as a chi ...

in key roles. The film, centered on an investigative narrative, was released theatrically on 1 December 2023.

Plot

The story follows Karna, portrayed by Karthik Raju, a determined individual who joins a clues team to solve a complex murder mystery with unexpected twists. The narrative focuses on forensic and investigative elements.

Cast

Production

''Atharva'' was produced by Subhash Nuthalapati under Pego Entertainments. The promotional campaign began in 2022 with the release of its title logo. Cinematography was handled by Charan Madhavaneni, with music by Sri Charan Pakala.

Release

The film transitioned to OTT platforms after its theatrical release, with digital release dates announced.

Reception

The film received mixed reviews from critics and audiences. ''

The Times of India ''The Times of India'' (''TOI'') is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by the Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, third-largest newspaper in India by circulation an ...

'' highlighted Karthik Raju’s strong debut performance, adding to the film’s suspenseful appeal. ''

The Hans India ''The Hans India'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper published in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as well as in New Delhi. The newspaper was launched on 15 July 2011 and is owned to Hyderabad Media House Ltd., which also ...

'' praised it as an engaging crime thriller with effective suspense. Conversely, ''

Deccan Chronicle ''Deccan Chronicle'' is an English-language daily newspaper based in Hyderabad, India. Founded in 1938, it was initially launched as a Weekly newspaper, weekly and later converted into a daily. The newspaper's name reflects its origins in the ...

'' criticized its slow pacing and lack of originality, deeming it a passable thriller. ''

OTTplay HT Media is an Indian mass media company based in Delhi. It has holdings in print, electronic and digital media. HT Media's flagship newspaper is the ''Hindustan Times'', the second most widely read English newspaper in India after ''The Times of ...

'' labeled it a dull and boring investigative thriller due to its narrative shortcomings. '' Sakshi'' noted a mixed reception, appreciating the suspense but highlighting execution flaws. ''

Eenadu ''Eenadu'' (; ) is the largest circulated Telugu-language daily newspaper In India predominantly distributed in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It was founded by Ramoji Rao in 1974 in Visakhapatnam and has been a significant presen ...

'' found it appealing for its investigative theme but predictable. ''

Samayam Telugu Times Internet is an Indian multinational technology company, headquartered in Gurgaon. It is the digital arm of The Times Group, the largest media conglomerate in India. Through its venture capital arm TVentures, Times Internet has invested ...

'' recognized Karthik Raju’s effort but called the overall film modest. ''

NTV Telugu NTV is an Indian Telugu-language news channel established by Tummala Narendra Choudary on 30 August 2007. The channel is named after the founder Narendra Choudary who also serves as its chairman while his wife Tummala Rama Devi is the managing ...

'' praised the cast but found the plot lacking. '' Hindustan Times Telugu'' appreciated the crime thriller aspects but noted uneven pacing. '' Zee News Telugu'' highlighted its suspenseful moments, while ''

Daijiworld Daijiworld Media is an Indian company, headquartered in Mangalore, that provides news services, including the web portal, www.daijiworld.com. It was founded by Walter Nandalike, as www.daijidubai.com on 14 January 2001, primarily with the objec ...

'' critiqued its execution. Commercial performance was modest, with lukewarm box office returns.

References

External links

* {{IMDb title 2020s Telugu-language films 2023 thriller films Indian crime thriller films 2020s Indian films