Bhartha Mahasayulaku Wignyapthi movie review: Ravi Teja returns with a breezy comedy

Bhartha Mahasayulaku Wignyapthi movie review: The idea of a married man straddling a dual romantic life has long been a staple of Telugu cinema, and it seems it is still quite far from fading. A widely visible trope of the films of the 1990s – seen brazenly titled like ‘Pellaniki Premalekha Priyuraliki Subhalekha’, ‘Intlo Illalu Vantintlo Priyuralu’ and ‘Aavida Maa Aavide’- it now returns to the fore with Kishore Tirumala’s new film, which redresses it in vibrant colours to suit the 2026 viewer.

Tirumala, in the company of Ravi Teja, Ashika Ranganath, Dimple Hayathi and others, does little to revise what the earlier films did with respect to gender dynamics and fidelity in a marriage. Yet, he scores a few points of his own by steering clear of the ‘hero-worship’ sentiment and ensuring that his gaze doesn’t overtly defend its male protagonist’s actions.

When Ram Sathyanarayana (Ravi Teja) finds out that his wine company’s marquee product, Anarkali, has been rejected by a top Spanish enterprise, he decides to go all the way to Spain to convince the person in charge. Ram needs to convince Manasa Shetty (Ashika Ranganath) of United Spirits to promote his wine, but he cannot do that as himself, so he tweaks his identity to become Sathya and plays a small game of deception.

Leela, his most trusted personal assistant (played by Vennela Kishore), supports him in tricking Manasa for what they believe is the right reason. Yet, Sathya goes a little too far and gets a little too involved with the woman by spending the night with her. All is fine, as she wishes to not make a big deal out of the encounter, but Sathya knows that hell is sure to break loose if his wife Balamani (Hayathi) finds out about this escapade. For all the reputation he has built for himself as the model husband back home in Hyderabad, Ram/Sathya now has to juggle multiple identities and secrets to a point that either hell will break loose with certainty or he will implode, running amok.

No points for guessing that Kishore Tirumala’s story is as old and commonplace as it could be, but the charm lies in the smoothness with which he navigates his version. The Spanish portion is infused with gags and contrivances whose humour hits the mark often enough, and it helps that Ravi Teja, Vennela Kishore and Sathya Akkala are in good form all along. Ashika Ranganath, too, gets a role that carries a personality, and another of the film’s strengths is that it avoids stereotyping its women to a large extent. As Manasa, Ashika is natural and winsome, with an arc that matches the male lead’s in both weight and prominence; Ravi Teja and she share a good rapport on-screen that is apparent in the film’s dance numbers.

The predictable and familiar nature of the story is also countered by a few interesting decisions made in the writing. Another film might have restricted itself to a barrage of overblown humour and comical confusions, but Bhartha Mahasayulaku Wignyapthi does keep the engine running for a while by throwing in confessions, blackmails, newer characters and other tiny surprises. Dimple Hayathi gets to hold her own in the template role of an overbearing, perennially suspicious wife, albeit without really coming across as one-toned. She is the “homely, Indian” kind who takes pride in wearing sarees and showcasing her mangalasutra, as opposed to the more “western, forward” type that Manasa apparently belongs to. While the film doesn’t pronounce this aspect, one can spot a binary that Kishore Tirumala creates to highlight the fact that the entitled Indian man wants a bit of both kinds, as and when his heart pleases.

The backbone of the film, though, is its ensemble cast of comedy actors who breathe great energy into the material. The ever-reliable Sunil joins the band along with Muralidhar Goud, Getup Srinu and Rohan, as the ragtag team goes about dispensing humour in a manner that doesn’t feel forced or out of place. In fact, the lot becomes the biggest saving force of the film. There are a few crude and lewd jokes that should have been done away with, but if it wasn’t for the collective, comedic effort, Bhartha Mahasayulaku Wignyapthi would have sunk much earlier. Ravi Teja, too, seems less burdened and in the zone by briefly setting his ‘mass maharaja’ tag aside for this one.

At the same time, the film starts to come undone in the second half when it suddenly runs out of ideas. A couple of twists and crop-ups lead the narrative to a juncture where Kishore Tirumala is asked to put his best foot forward, but his writing comes up short in terms of a response, resorting to winding monologues and justifications that make little to no sense. Why does Manasa opt to do whatever she does after learning Sathya’s truth? Why does he get away so easily? What use was the brother character (Tarak Ponnappa, a Kannadiga who emphasises Telugu cinema’s increasing love for the neighbouring state)? Bhartha Mahasayulaku Wignyapthi shows no interest in tying up these loose ends and instead prefers to conclude things on a bland, unimaginative note.

The film could be seen as a missed opportunity in that regard, but it still suffices to be a fun, festive watch. Ravi Teja hints at returning to his best, and his company of actors puts him in good standing. A few trimmings and a lot more command in the writing would have helped, but let’s not aim too high, shall we?

Bhartha Mahasayulaku Wignyapthi movie cast: Ravi Teja, Ashika Ranganath, Dimple Hayathi, Sunil, Satya, Vennala Kishore, Sudharkar, Muralidhar Bhartha Mahasayulaku Wignyapthi movie director: Kishore Tirumala Bhartha Mahasayulaku Wignyapthi movie rating: 3 stars