Latest OTT Reviews

Movie Name : Anaganaga

Streaming Date : May 15, 2025
123telugu.com Rating : 3/5
Starring : Sumanth Kumar, Kajal Choudhary, Master Viharsh, Avasarala Srinivas, Anu Hasan, Rakesh Rachakonda, B.V.S. Ravi, Kaumudi Nemani
Director : Sunny Sanjay
Producers : Rakesh Reddy Gadam, Rudra Madireddy
Music Director : Chandu Ravi
Cinematographer : Pavan Pappula
Editor : Venkatesh Chunduru
Related Links : Trailer

Sumanth, known for his meaningful films, is back with another impressive project, Anaganaga. This ETV original movie is now available for streaming on ETV Win. Let’s see how it fares.

Story

Vyas (Sumanth) is a school teacher who dislikes the conventional style of teaching. He advocates for concept-based learning, which his wife, Bhagi (Kajal Chowdary), who is also the principal of the school, strongly opposes. The twist in the tale arises when Vyas’s son Ram and a few other students fail in the exams. The school management is not pleased and decides to fire Vyas from his job. What will Vyas do next? How will he help his son and the other students become toppers? To find out, stream the film on ETV Win.

Plus Points

Anaganaga is a well-made film that critiques the current education system. It effectively showcases how many international schools today focus solely on ranks and grades, neglecting students’ understanding of basic concepts. Director Sunny Sanjay weaves this issue into a compelling father-son and husband-wife conflict, which forms the emotional core of the film.

One of the film’s strongest aspects is the father-son track. The scenes depicting the son torn between his father’s ideals and his mother’s rigid policies are well-executed and quite relatable. The portrayal of husband-wife ego clashes is also handled engagingly. Srinivasa Avasarala, as a strict school teacher, delivers a decent performance.

But it is Sumanth who shines the brightest. Emotional roles seem to come naturally to him, and he once again proves his mettle. From the very first scene, he anchors the film with a deeply felt performance. The moments when he emotes pain over his son’s struggles are especially moving. After Malli Raava, Sumanth again proves that he is a highly underrated actor who deserves more substantial roles. He is excellent in Anaganaga.

Kajal Chowdary, despite being relatively new, makes a solid impression. Her portrayal of a school principal is convincing, and the scenes where she argues with Sumanth are filled with believable drama. The little kid, Viharsh, is also quite impressive as the struggling school kid. sequences revolving around concept-based learning and the production design that supports these themes are very well done. The way the director uses real-life examples to teach life lessons adds authenticity to the narrative.

Minus Points

The core concept of Anaganaga feels somewhat dated. The storyline of a sincere teacher challenging the system to help students excel has been explored in several films before. However, it’s the presentation that sets this film apart.

The pacing is uneven, with the film taking too long to reach its main conflict. Moreover, Anaganaga is quite predictable; the lack of unexpected twists makes the storyline somewhat formulaic.

Additionally, the way Sumanth’s character challenges the school system is not depicted convincingly. His retaliation and the scenes portraying his efforts to bring about change in the education system could have been handled with more depth. His ideas are not conveyed, and the film would have benefited from more scenes exploring his struggle and methods.

Technical Aspects

Chandu Ravi’s music is soothing, and the songs blend seamlessly with the narrative. However, it’s his background score that truly elevates several key moments. Pavan Kumar’s cinematography is impressive, effectively capturing the school setting, middle-class lives, and the nuances of concept-based learning. The film could be trimmed by about ten minutes, as some of the school-related scenes in the first half feel slightly stretched. The production design is top-notch and gives the film a fresh visual appeal.

Coming to director Sunny Sanjay, he delivers a decent effort. While the story is familiar, his strength lies in emotional storytelling and the performances he draws from his lead cast. Sumanth leads the film with grace, and the director makes great use of his calm screen presence and experience. If the scenes depicting the battle against the education system had been written with more conviction, the overall impact of the film would have been even stronger.

Verdict

On the whole, Anaganaga is a well-made social drama filled with heartfelt emotions. Though predictable, the film is elevated by Sumanth’s powerful performance, the moving father-son storyline, and relatable commentary on the education system. It makes for a worthwhile watch on OTT. Give it a shot.

123telugu.com Rating: 3/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team