Four friends from a small Telangana village decide to build a rocket and fly to the Moon. That is the whole idea of Chandrayaan, one of the Telugu films releasing in November, and it is the kind of simple, mad dream that makes you smile. The film released in theatres on 13 November 2026. Critics found it sincere but slow, while many viewers had a lot more fun with it.
★★½☆☆
Our rating: 2.5 out of 5 — A fresh idea that needed a tighter film.
In This Post
The story in short
Chandrayaan is set in Mandamarri village in Mancherial district. Four young men there have almost no knowledge of science, but they share one big dream — to travel to the Moon. So they start building a rocket on their own, using whatever they can find: bike tyres, kitchen cookers, even rice bran as fuel. The villagers laugh at them, and many problems come their way. The film also has a murder-mystery thread running beside the comedy. Whether they turn the impossible dream into reality is the rest of the story.
What worked
The idea itself is the best part. Four ordinary village boys dreaming of the Moon is fresh, and the film gets a lot of fun out of their rocket experiments with household things. The friendship between the four feels real — their Telangana dialect, innocent faces and easy chemistry hold the film together. Shivakumar Dheekonda is decent in the lead, and Ravi Shiv Teja, Vamsidhar and Lokesh play their parts naturally. Harsha Pravin’s music suits the village mood. Srinivasa B shoots the village honestly, and the film looks rich for a low budget.
What did not work
The film slows down as it goes. The same kind of rocket scenes repeat without adding anything new, and the comedy works only in parts. The second half drags, and the feelings behind the boys’ dream stay on the surface — their struggles and the villagers’ taunts should have hit harder. The ending also feels rushed. A sharper script and tighter editing would have made the same idea land much better.
What people are saying
TeluguBulletin gave the film 2.5 out of 5, calling it “a sincere attempt that stands out for its fresh premise and earnest performances”, but added that the “slow-paced narration, uneven screenplay, and underdeveloped emotional arc limit its overall impact”. Filmibeat users also gave 2.5 out of 5. BookMyShow viewers were far happier — 83 reviews, most of them 10 out of 10, with one viewer calling it “full-on entertainment” from start to finish. A few Telugu video reviews also praised the different concept. One Instagram meme page mocked that high rating. The picture is split: critics liked the idea more than the film, audiences enjoyed the fun.
Chandrayaan — film details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Movie | Chandrayaan (also listed as Chandrayan) |
| Language | Telugu |
| Release date | 13 November 2026 |
| Runtime | 2h 17m |
| Certificate | UA13+ |
| Genre | Rural comedy-drama, adventure comedy |
| Director | Srinath Chandrashekhar |
| Producer | Praveen Molaka (Simba Screen Stories) |
| Presenter | Venu Udugula |
| Music | Harsha Pravin |
| Cinematography | Srinivasa B |
| Cast | Shivakumar Dheekonda, Swapna Priyadarshini, Ravi Shiv Teja, Vamsidhar, Lokesh, Balagam Sathyanarayana |
How people rated it
| Who | Rating | What they said |
|---|---|---|
| TeluguBulletin | 2.5/5 | “A fresh idea, routine execution” |
| Filmibeat users | 2.5/5 | Based on 100 ratings |
| BookMyShow viewers | 10/10 mostly | 83 reviews, #Blockbuster |
| YouTube (Myvue Shorts) | Review posted | Short video review of the film |
| Facebook video reviews | Positive | “Very different concept” |
| CineSparsh | 2.5/5 | Our rating |
What works and what does not
| What works | What does not |
|---|---|
| Fresh idea | Four village boys dreaming of the Moon |
| Friends’ chemistry | Natural performances, real Telangana flavour |
| Comedy scenes | Rocket experiments with household things |
| Music and look | Suits the village, rich for a low budget |
| Slow pace | Second half drags, scenes repeat |
| Weak emotions | Dream’s feelings stay on the surface, rushed ending |
Verdict
Chandrayaan is a sweet, simple film with a lovely idea and likeable friends at its centre. It needed a tighter second half and deeper feelings to become a really good film. As it stands, it is a decent one-time watch.
FAQs on Chandrayaan Movie Review
When did Chandrayaan release?
Chandrayaan released in theatres on 13 November 2026, in Telugu.
What is the story of Chandrayaan?
Four friends from Mandamarri village dream of the Moon and build a rocket from scrap, facing laughter and problems on the way.
Who are the lead actors in Chandrayaan?
Shivakumar Dheekonda, Swapna Priyadarshini, Ravi Shiv Teja, Vamsidhar and Lokesh.
What is our rating for Chandrayaan?
Our rating is 2.5 out of 5 — a fresh idea in a slow, routine film.
Is Chandrayaan streaming on OTT?
No — only in theatres now. No OTT platform or date has been announced yet.
