Movie: Mowgli 2025
Rating: 1.75/5
Banner: People Media Factory
Cast: Roshan Kanakala, Sakkshi Mhadolkar, Bandi Saroj Kumar, Harsha Chemudu, and others
Music: Kaala Bhairava
DOP: Rama Maruti
Production Designer: AS Prakash
Editor: Peekay
Art: Kiran Mamidi
Action: Natraj Madigonda
Producers: TG Vishwa Prasad, Krithi Prasad
Written and Directed by: Sandeep Raj
Release Date: December 12, 2025
During the COVID lockdown, Color Photo premiered on OTT, and director Sandeep Raj earned praise for his handling of the love story. Naturally, expectations rose for his second directorial, Mowgli 2025.
Let’s see whether he lives up to the promise with his latest effort.
Story:
In Parvathipuram, Mowgli grows up almost like an orphan after losing his parents at a young age. Inspired by his late father, he dreams of becoming a police officer.
When a film crew arrives in the village, he takes up work as a dupe artist and does small jobs for money. He soon falls for Jasmine (Sakshi Mhadolkar), a deaf and mute dancer of the film’s crew.
She, too, develops feelings for him after noticing that he shares the same unusually large foot size as her father.
Complications arise when the film’s producer develops an unhealthy fascination for Jasmine. A brief misunderstanding distances Mowgli and Jasmine, but they reconcile once the confusion clears.
Trouble resurfaces when a lecherous local police officer, Christopher Nolan (Bandi Sanjay Kumar), sets his eyes on Jasmine. The couple flees into the forest.
The rest of the story explores whether Mowgli can protect Jasmine from this police officer.
Artistes’ Performances:
For Roshan Kanakala, this is his second film. He shows ease in body language and action sequences. However, the role itself doesn’t suit him.
Sakshi Mhadolkar, despite not uttering a single word, carries the film with her expressions.
Bandi Saroj Kumar, playing the main villain, dominates most of the second half. But after a point, his performance turns repetitive and becomes tiring, partly due to one-dimension role.
Harsha Chemudu gets a solid role as the hero’s friend.
Technical Excellence:
For a film without major stars, it delivers surprisingly strong production values and rich visuals.
The cinematographer and the production team deserve credit for maintaining quality throughout.
Kaala Bhairava’s music, both the songs and background score, feels dull. The editor, too, could have been more ruthless in tightening the narrative.
Highlights:
Rich production values and visuals
Drawback:
Cliched narration
Lengthy runtime
Lack of catchy songs
Analysis
“Mowgli 2025,” both in its title and in the hero’s design, draws clear inspiration from “The Jungle Book.” At the interval, the protagonist compares his journey to the Ramayana, seeing himself as Rama and his lover as Sita as they escape into the forest with a villain in pursuit. The film ends with the arrival of Lord Hanuman and a message that the deity will protect devotees from losing faith.
The story begins like any regular love drama, with a boy and girl falling in love and a villain entering the scene. The director calls it a “silent love story,” since the couple communicates through sign language, and promises it will turn into “the loudest war” after the interval. Before the break, the film shows a movie shoot, the romance between the lead pair, a brief misunderstanding, and an introduction to the predatory police officer.
After the interval, the narration suddenly shifts. A voiceover says the story actually began when a “mooga jeevi” was killed, and a priest curses the police officer that his end will come through another “mooga jeevi.” The girl’s entry into his life is tied to this curse. These mythological and devotional elements might have worked if the narration had been engaging, but they feel loosely connected.
Despite the attempt to mix devotion and mythology into the plot, the core story remains an overused template.
A villain desires a girl who is already in love, and the couple runs away. Many earlier films such as Jayam and Varsham have used the same idea, so Sandeep Raj’s story has no real freshness. The characterization of the cruel S.I. played by Bandi Saroj Kumar is also unconvincing. It is hard to believe he can rape an IAS officer by blackmailing her and escape consequences. Most of the second half reminds us of films from the early 2000s.
This type of film needs catchy songs and a shorter runtime to stay involving, but this film does not have either. Several dialogues appear forced.
In one scene, the hero suddenly says that being born a man is a curse, which has no relevance in that moment. It seems inserted only because it sounds like a quotation. The dialogue goes: “Magadigaa putadam kanna daridram maroti ledu. Eduposte adollalaga edvalemu… nopposte choopinchalem… ekkadapadite akkada one posukovadam tappa ee advantage ledu.”
Overall, “Mowgli 2025” is contemporary only in its title. The cliched storyline, tiring length, bland narration, and absence of engaging elements or good songs turn it into a monotonous love story driven by a familiar conflict.
Bottom-line: Boring
