Mohanlal's much-anticipated pan-India venture, Vrusshabha, has landed with a resounding thud, earning scathing criticism and a dismal 1 out of 5 star rating. Released on December 25, 2025, the film, directed by Nanda Kishore, is being labelled as one of the superstar's biggest cinematic missteps in recent years, failing to work even as an unintentional spoof.
A Formulaic Amalgamation Gone Wrong
The review identifies Vrusshabha as a poorly cooked concoction of every familiar ingredient from the successful pan-India recipe. The plot juggles a dual timeline narrative. Centuries ago, King Vijayendra Vrusshabha (Mohanlal) rules Trilinga and protects a sacred Shiva linga. A fatal error leads to a curse where he will suffer at the hands of his own son. After losing his infant son, the story leaps to Mumbai in 2025.
Here, business magnate Aadideva Varma (Mohanlal) and his son Tej (Samarjit Lankesh) share a close bond. When Aadi is plagued by nightmares, Tej's investigation leads him to Devanagari village, uncovering a past-life connection. He learns they are reincarnations of Vrusshabha and his son Hayagreeva, who had sworn to kill his father if they ever met again.
Critique of Writing and Execution
The film's most significant failure is attributed to its extremely poor writing. The narrative is riddled with obsolete moments, pointless conflicts, and cringeworthy dialogues. The emotional core, particularly the bond between father and son, is told but never shown, relying on superficial declarations. The romantic subplot between Tej and Dhamini (Nayan Sarika) is hastily developed with bizarre logic, such as Tej falling for her because her affection reminds him of his mother.
Furthermore, the production is marred by glaring technical flaws. The visual effects and production design are cited as subpar. A telling detail highlighted is that despite Aadi's proclaimed love for his family, the only photo on his nightstand is of his younger self. The bilingual shooting process appears lazy, with visible mismatches between lip movements for Malayalam and Telugu dialogues in different scenes.
Performances and Final Verdict
Performance-wise, the film offers little respite. Samarjit Lankesh's turn is criticized as one of the worst seen recently, while most of the cast, including Ragini Dwivedi in a dual role, fails to impress. Nayan Sarika is noted as providing a minor relief. The review poses a direct question to Mohanlal, wondering why he chose this project after a year that saw success in his other films.
Ultimately, Vrusshabha is described as an amateurish attempt to emulate the success of films like Magadheera and the Baahubali series, but without understanding the craft behind them. The reviewer concludes that the film is such a mess that it cannot even be enjoyed as a parody, solidifying its position as a major disappointment and a low point in Mohanlal's filmography, second only to his directorial debut Barroz.
