Harudu Movie Review

Cast: Venkat, Natasha Singh, Hebah Patel, Saloni, Vedvika Soni, Suman, Ali and others

Director: Raj Talluri

Producers: Dikkala Lakshman Rao, Praveen Reddy V

Music: Mani Jenna

Cinematography: Anand Marukuri

Editor: Uppu Maruthi

Release Date: May 15, 2026

Banner: VR Entertainments

Actor Venkat, who impressed Telugu audiences with films like Sri Seetharamula Kalyanam Chutamu Rarandi, Annayya, Anandam and Sivaramaraju, was recently seen in OG alongside Pawan Kalyan. He now returns as a lead actor with Harudu. Let’s see how the film fares.

Plot:

DCP Shankar alias “Encounter Shankar” (Venkat) is a fearless cop who terrifies the Mumbai mafia. He gets transferred to Hyderabad, where he continues his aggressive style of policing and cracks down on criminals immediately after arriving.

Meanwhile, local MLA Varadarajulu (Srihari Paila) appears to be a good-hearted politician in public but secretly runs several illegal activities. Shankar first encounters him while trying to free an innocent auto driver arrested in a ganja case.

On the other side, a group of unemployed students steal car engines to raise money and start their dream food court business. Eventually, they get caught by the police, and Varadarajulu arrives at the station to help them out. However, soon after they leave, the students are brutally attacked.

When Shankar discovers that Varadarajulu himself ordered the attack, he is shocked. What is the dark political agenda hidden behind Varadarajulu’s clean image? What connection do the stolen engines have with his political career? Who is responsible for the murder of Shankar’s wife Priya (Natasha Singh)? The answers form the rest of the story.

Performances:

Venkat fits perfectly into the role of Encounter Shankar. His fitness, screen presence, and composed dialogue delivery work well for the police officer character. He carries the film with confidence.

Natasha Singh gets limited screen time but manages to leave an impression with her glamorous presence. Hebah Patel also performs well in her role. Srihari Paila’s villainous performance is effective, while Ali provides decent comic relief. Saloni grabs attention in the item song with her glamour appeal. 

Supporting actors like Shani, Vedvika, and Ravinder perform adequately in their respective roles.

Analysis:

The story, screenplay, and overall treatment of Harudu feel somewhat outdated. However, director Raj Talluri succeeds to an extent in keeping the audience engaged without making the film boring.

The movie follows a familiar commercial template, making it easy for viewers to predict the upcoming scenes. This predictability becomes one of the film’s drawbacks. At the same time, the director packs the film with all the required commercial ingredients — songs, fights, comedy, and emotional moments.

Right from the opening scene, the film establishes its mass-commercial tone clearly. Hero elevation scenes, city conflicts, and the student crime track move at a brisk pace. The interval twist works well, while the second half relies heavily on the flashback portion. The romantic track between the hero and heroine in the flashback is decent. The climax turns out largely as expected.

One of the positives is the film’s short runtime, which helps maintain the pace.

Technical Aspects:

Technically, the movie is satisfactory. The visuals, music, and songs are decent enough for the genre. Production values are appropriate for the scale of the film.

Verdict:

Harudu is a routine commercial police drama that works in parts due to its engaging narration and commercial elements. Though predictable and old-fashioned in treatment, it may still appeal to audiences who enjoy mass-action entertainers with a police backdrop.

Bottom Line: 

A Decent Commercial Police Drama That Keeps You Engaged

RATING: 2.75/5