Shambhala (2025 film)

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Shambhala
Shambhala (2025 film).jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byUgandhar Muni
Written byUgandhar Muni
Produced byMahidhar Reddy
Rajashekhar Annabhimoju
Starring Aadi Saikumar
Archana Iyer
Swasika Vijay
CinematographyPraveen K. Bangarri
Edited byShravan Katikaneni
Music by Sricharan Pakala
Production
company
Shining Pictures Banner
Release date
  • 25 December 2025 (2025-12-25)
CountryIndia
LanguageTelugu
Budget₹12 crore [1]
Box office₹20.21 crore [2]

Shambhala(As Shambhala: A Mystical World) is a 2025 Indian Telugu-language supernatural horror thriller film written and directed by Ugandhar Muni. [3] [4] [5] [6] It starred Aadi Saikumar and Archana Iyer. [3] [7]

Contents

The film has music composed by Sricharan Pakala, [3] cinematography by Praveen K. Bangarri, and editing by Shravan Katikaneni. [8] The film was released on 25 December 2025.

Plot

In the 1980s, a meteor crashes near Shambhala, a village steeped in history and folklore. From that moment, disturbing incidents begin to plague the village. A scientist, Vikram, arrives to study the situation.

Some villagers behave in a very weird way. They start hurting themselves. And many even kill themselves in violent ways. The villagers, who are full of superstitions, think that something evil has come. But Vikram, who only believes in science, does not believe any of that, and wants to find the truth.

When Vikram investigates the meteor a secret is revealed. What is the secret? What is the history of Shambhala? What is the story behind the deity of Shambhala? Who is Devi, who helped Vikram in his investigation? What is the reason behind the strange deaths happening in the village?

Cast

Music

The film's music was composed by Sricharan Pakala. [3]

All tracks are written by Kittu Vissapragada.

No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Padhe Padhe" Yamini Ghantasala 3:24
2."Naa Peru Shambhala" Geetha Madhuri 3:30
3."Yeppudo Yekkado"Prudhvi Chandra3:01
4."Shivam Shiva" Karthik, Sriram Maddury3:19
Total length:6:54

Release

Shambhala was released on 25 December 2025. [5] [9]

Reception

Suhas Sistu from The Hans India gave 3.5/5 stars and stated, "Shambhala stands out as a rare attempt in Telugu cinema that blends mythology, mystery, and horror into a gripping narrative." About the technicalities, he stated, "Director Ugandhar Muni deserves praise for crafting a layered story without confusion. He delivers a genre-driven experience that keeps audiences hooked from the opening frame." [10] Suresh Kavirayani from Cinema Express gave the film 3/5 stars and stated, "For Aadi Saikumar, the film marks a solid comeback, proving that he still has it in him." [5] Bhargav Chaganti from NTV gave the film 3/5 stars and stated, "Although the film feels like it lags here and there, the director has mostly succeeded in giving a good experience to the audience overall." [11]

Avad Mohammad from OTTPlay gave a positive review and stated, "Sricharan Pakala has composed the music for the film, and he elevates the proceedings with an impressive score. The production values are top-notch, as the period setup is handled well." [12] Srivathsan Nadadhur from The Hindu gives the film a mixed review and states, "...Shambhala works best when it portrays divinity as a quality of those who mean well, and the victims of the evil spirit as people who fail to keep their vices — greed, envy, anger, hatred — in check. Though it lacks novelty, there is minimal fluff, little distraction, and the storytelling remains largely grounded." [13]

References

  1. "Shambhala: Cast, budget, plot, runtime, and OTT platform, all you need to know about Aadi Saikumar starrer". OTTplay. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  2. "Shambhala Box Office Collection | All Language | Day Wise | Worldwide". Sacnilk. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "'శంబాల' మూవీ రివ్యూ అండ్‌ రేటింగ్‌ | Shambhala Movie Review And Rating In Telugu | Sakshi". www.sakshi.com (in Telugu). Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  4. Fb; Tw; Linkdin; Whatsapp; Us, GNFollow. "Shambhala Movie Review: శంబాల మూవీ రివ్యూ, రేటింగ్‌.. ఆది సాయికుమార్‌ కి సాలిడ్‌ బ్రేక్‌". Asianet News Telugu (in Telugu). Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 Kavirayani, Suresh (25 December 2025). "Shambhala Movie Review: An engaging mystic thriller". Cinema Express. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  6. "Shambhala Movie Review: రివ్యూ: శంబాల.. ఆది సాయికుమార్‌ ఖాతాలో హిట్‌ పడిందా?". EENADU (in Telugu). Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  7. "'Shambhala' box office collection day 1: Aadi Saikumar collects Rs 1.50 crore on first day". The Times of India. 26 December 2025. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  8. Greatandhra (25 December 2025). "Shambhala Review: మూవీ రివ్యూ: శంబాల Great Andhra". Great Andhra (in Telugu). Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  9. "శంబాల రివ్యూ- వెయ్యేళ్ల చరిత్రగల ఊరుకు పట్టిన బండ భూతం- ఆది సాయి కుమార్ హారర్ మిస్టరీ థ్రిల్లర్ ఆకట్టుకుందా?". Hindustan Times (in Telugu). 25 December 2025. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  10. Sistu, Suhas (25 December 2025). "Shambhala: A chilling journey into a mythical world of fear and faith". www.thehansindia.com. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  11. Telugu, ntv (25 December 2025). "Shambhala Movie Review: శంబాల మూవీ రివ్యూ..ఆది సాయి కుమార్ హిట్ కొట్టాడా?". NTV Telugu (in Telugu). Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  12. "Shambhala Review: Aadi Saikumar shines in a supernatural thriller that keeps you hooked". www.ottplay.com. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  13. Nadadhur, Srivathsan (25 December 2025). "'Shambhala' movie review: A restrained Aadi Saikumar steers an earnest yet unoriginal mystical thriller". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 27 December 2025.