‘Andhra King Taluka’ movie review: Ram Pothineni and Upendra lead this feel-good tribute to cinema

Some bonds defy rational explanation, like the devotion an ardent fan feels for a film star. What drives someone to go to extraordinary lengths for an actor who may never know they exist? Andhra King Taluka, written and directed by Mahesh Babu P, frames itself as a “biopic of a fan” to explore precisely this question. Through the fictional journey of Sagar (Ram Pothineni), an admirer of superstar Surya Kumar (Upendra), fondly called the “Andhra King”, the film examines how fandom shapes identity and ambition.

Mahesh Babu steers clear of the darker edges of obsession unlike Maneesh Sharma’s Fan, with Shah Rukh Khan, or the pitfalls of fandom depicted in the Telugu anthology Anger Tales, featuring Venkatesh Maha. He also avoids interrogating whether stars exploit their fan bases. Instead, he crafts a feel-good, coming-of-age drama in which cinema becomes fuel: sparking Sagar’s dreams, inspiring his village, and ultimately looping back to lift the very star he worships.

The story of mainstream cinema and its ecosystem gets an equally mainstream treatment — flamboyant colours, songs, dances, romance and tears. Set in 2002, before smartphones and the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, the film uses rural East Godavari as a backdrop where moviegoing is a communal ritual and people readily travel from village to village to watch their favourite stars.

Interestingly, a film that celebrates cinema, stardom and fandom opens with the superstar’s decline. In his lavish home lined with awards, Surya (Upendra) confronts a newspaper report likening him to a setting sun. The metaphors are direct: Surya the star, Sagar his devoted fan from an island with no electricity, and Mahalakshmi (Bhagyashri Borse) as the inevitable symbolic presence. Both men need money — Surya to survive a slump, Sagar to prove the power of hard work and belief. Sagar’s unwavering loyalty is rooted in a childhood moment of cinema-fuelled hope, contrasted with the realism of his friend Eshwar (Rahul Ramakrishna).

Everything revolves around theatres and the culture around them — from fan cutouts and firecrackers to the contempt of theatre owners who view such fandom as disruptive. The romance between Sagar and Mahalakshmi begins predictably but gradually nudges the film into a coming-of-age track. Andhra King Taluka takes time to settle, but once it finds its rhythm, it holds attention despite its generous 166-minute runtime.

Some of the strongest moments show how a love for cinema can build an ecosystem that benefits everyone. Yet contrivances undercut the impact: a smart scene is often followed by a perfunctory action beat, slowing the pace. When momentum dips, the performances hold the film together.

Ram Pothineni sheds his usual screen persona to play a naïve, earnest fan; it’s one of his more grounded performances in a long time. Bhagyashri Borse follows her recent work in Kaantha with another assured performance, portraying her character with grace and strength. Rahul Ramakrishna’s deadpan delivery lifts his well-written role, and Rao Ramesh and Murali Sharma remain reliably effective in their brief parts. The real surprise is Upendra, who brings a quiet, lived-in quality to a middle-class superstar confronting his own decline.

Vivek–Mervin’s songs, especially ‘Nuvvunte Chaley’, work well within the narrative.

Andhra King Taluka is a reasonably engaging, even if familiar, reflection on the power of cinema. The recurring images of theatres and screens underscore its central idea: light at the end of the tunnel. The fan and the star give each other hope — a poetic touch that might have resonated even more with tighter editing.