Movie: Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu
Rating: 2.5/5
Banner: Shine Screens and Gold Box Entertainments
Cast: Chiranjeevi, Venkatesh Daggubati, Nayanthara, Catherine Tresa, Sachin Khedekar, Srinivas Reddy, Harsha Vardhan, Zarina Wahab, and others
Music: Bheems Ceciroleo
DOP: Sameer Reddy
Editor: Tammiraju
Production Designer: A S Prakash
Producers: Sahu Garapati and Sushmita Konidela
Written and Direction: Anil Ravipudi
Release Date: Jan 12, 2026
Megastar Chiranjeevi and Anil Ravipudi’s first-ever collaboration has generated tremendous buzz. With the director coming off a massive Sankranthi blockbuster last year, expectations around this project are naturally high.
All eyes are now on whether Ravipudi can recreate the same magic for Sankranthi 2026.
Story:
Prasad (Chiranjeevi), an NSG officer, is assigned to provide security to a businessman (Sachin Khedekar) and his daughter Sasirekha (Nayanthara) after they are attacked by unknown assailants.
The twist is that Prasad is Sasirekha’s former husband, who deliberately positions himself as their protector in an attempt to reconcile with her and reunite with their children.
The rest of the film revolves around whether Prasad succeeds in mending his relationship with his wife while also uncovering the real culprits behind the attacks.
Artistes’ Performances:
After facing criticism for “Bholaa Shankar,” Megastar Chiranjeevi made a conscious effort to reinvent himself. He appears fitter, sharper, and more stylish in this film. More importantly, it turns out to be a clear one-man show, with Chiranjeevi carrying the narrative through his trademark humour and an engagingly playful performance. He once again proves his impeccable comic timing.
Nayanthara looks elegant as Chiranjeevi’s former wife and a successful businesswoman. The brief romantic episode in the flashback works well.
Venkatesh, who appears as mining businessman Venky Gowda, serves more as a star attraction than a source of consistent humour, with limited scope for impactful comedy.
Catherine Tresa largely remains part of Chiranjeevi’s team, while the supporting cast is underutilized. Sachin Khedekar delivers a familiar performance.
Technical Excellence:
Bheems delivers two catchy numbers — Meesala Pilla and Sasirekha — and both songs are visually appealing. Cinematography stands out as a major highlight, with Sameer Reddy presenting Chiranjeevi in a vibrant and flattering manner.
The costume design further enhances his screen presence, lending the film a polished and upscale look despite it being primarily a family drama.
The production design is suitably grand and adds to the film’s richness. However, the writing remains substandard and weakens the overall experience. The comedy writing is plain.
Highlights:
Chiranjeevi and his fun portrayal
Two songs
Drawback:
A underdeveloped storyline
Most comedy sequences feel superficial
A weak villain track
Scene-by-scene construction
Analysis
“Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu”, much like Anil Ravipudi’s earlier festive entertainer “Sankranthiki Vasthunnam”, is clearly designed for the holiday season and family audiences. However, unlike that film, this one lacks genuinely hilarious or laugh-out-loud moments. Instead, it leans heavily on presenting Megastar Chiranjeevi in his vintage, fun-loving avatar, banking almost entirely on his comic timing and screen presence.
The story in “Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu” barely holds together. If it can be called a story at all, it merely serves as a framework to showcase Chiranjeevi in a series of comedy scenes and song sequences. The villain track, forcefully introduced in the second half, is particularly weak and often borders on the absurd.
While audiences do not expect airtight logic or strong narratives in Anil Ravipudi’s films, he previously managed to extract solid humour from a familiar template in “Sankranthiki Vasthunnam.” Here, he once again employs the well-worn formula of a security officer/ex-police officer returning for a mission, blended with family drama. However, “Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu” tilts more towards family sentiment and far less towards effective comedy.
The film draws parallels with emotional family dramas like Chiranjeevi’s “Daddy” or Ajith’s “Viswasam.”
The first half focuses on a brief flashback involving Chiranjeevi and Nayanthara, and largely revolves around the protagonist’s attempts to bond with his school-going children. These portions are predictable and lack novelty, but Chiranjeevi’s effortless comic timing and warm performance make them passable.
The second half shifts gears to Chiranjeevi’s efforts to win back Nayanthara while simultaneously tracking down the antagonist. The sudden introduction of Venkatesh as Nayanthara’s prospective suitor delivers mixed results. Sequences featuring Venkatesh dancing to Chiranjeevi’s Ramma Chilakamma and Navvindi Malle Chendu, and Chiranjeevi dancing to Venky’s Blockbuster Pongal, feel more like filler moments than organic narrative additions.
Venkatesh’s entire episode appears superficial and fails to generate the intended energy or impact. Similarly, the second-half comedy track involving Bebakka and the women’s gang comes across as silly rather than humorous. The eventual revelation of the villain and his motive behind targeting Sachin Khedekar lacks conviction and emotional weight.
With loose narration, a wafer-thin plot, and undercooked emotions, the film progresses through a series of loosely connected sequences designed to evoke laughter. While a handful of jokes land, most fail to leave a lasting impression.
Overall, “Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu” is a festival-centric entertainer that succeeds in showcasing Megastar Chiranjeevi in a likeable, playful, and familiar avatar. However, the absence of genuine laugh-out-loud moments, a believable conflict, and impactful comedy tracks prevents it from being fully engaging. Despite Chiranjeevi’s sincere efforts to elevate the material, the film settles as an easy, time-pass watch for the festive season—pleasant in parts, but ultimately underwhelming.
Bottom-line: Half fun