Vrusshabha: A Mythic Epic of Bloodlines and Betrayal, Mohanlal’s Pan-India Triumph
Cast:
Mohanlal as Balan/Rajiv Menon (an enigmatic father haunted by his past)
Roshan Meka as Abhimanyu (a conflicted son)
Shanaya Kapoor as Meera (a fierce love interest with a warrior’s spirit)
Zahrah S Khan as Princess Lakshmi (a reincarnated royal)
Ragini Dwivedi as Sita (a loyal confidante)
Meka Srikanth as Veerendra (an antagonistic uncle)
Supporting ensemble: Mahendra Rajput, Ramachandra Raju, Neha Saxena, Mutant Raghu
Director: Nanda Kishore
A Pan-India Spectacle With Old Wounds And New Myths
Vrusshabha swings for the fences and lands with force. Nanda Kishore steps into large-scale storytelling with confidence and flair. The film opened on 6 November 2025 and runs 168 minutes. It blends action, reincarnation, and family drama into a sweeping saga. Connekkt Media and Balaji Telefilms back the project, with Ekta Kapoor’s touch on the emotional beats. Mohanlal leads a true pan-India push, with versions in Malayalam, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada. He promised an epic action entertainer, and the film largely delivers.
Story And Themes Across Two Lifetimes
This is a tale of bloodlines marked by guilt and retribution. The plot moves between two eras. In the present, Balan, a diamond baron played by Mohanlal, watches his empire strain under secrets. In the past, an 18th-century Kerala kingdom faced a brutal schism. Mohanlal doubles up as Rajiv Menon, a paranoid ruler who kills his brother’s heir, cursing both families.
Abhimanyu, played by Roshan Meka, returns home after years abroad. He is an architect with a guarded heart and a fractured bond with his father. His homecoming triggers visions of a violent past. Headless warriors, ritual rites, and a father’s spectral rage flood his mind.
The plot knots around a scheming uncle, Veerendra, and a forbidden love with Meera, whose roots link to the slain prince. The script leans on the symbol of Vrishabha, the bull tied to Shiva, to probe redemption, duty, and cycles of violence. It feels ambitious and grand, with the scale audiences expect after blockbusters like RRR.
Mohanlal At Full Power
Mohanlal fires on all cylinders. As Balan, he gives a quiet, aching turn. His gaze carries remorse and history. As the feral Rajiv Menon, he is volcanic yet wounded. The armour, the urumi, the weather-beaten battlefield, all suit him. The de-ageing work is clean and convincing, without the usual uncanny tics. At 65, his physical commitment impresses. He throws himself into elaborate set pieces in heavy rain and temple courtyards. The final confrontation, soaked and raw, hits hard. It feels Shakespearean in scale and hurt, and it lingers.
The Ensemble, Sharp But Uneven
Roshan Meka holds the centre with steady poise. His shift from detached son to fated avenger tracks well. Shanaya Kapoor brings steel and tenderness as Meera. The archery beats and warrior energy give her an edge, though her arc could use more time. Zahrah S Khan floats through the period portions with a soft glow. Her dance segments add elegance and grace to the mythic passages. Ragini Dwivedi gives Sita warmth and weight, a character shaped by pain and loyalty. Meka Srikanth relishes the role of the slick, poisonous uncle. Ramachandra Raju and Neha Saxena add colour on the fringes, with parts that enrich the world.
Craft, Scale, And Sound That Rumble
Nanda Kishore stages grandeur and intimacy with care. Rishi Purat’s camera glides over misty Kerala hills and Mumbai skylines with equal ease. The wide frames sell scale without losing faces. The action is muscular and clear. A chariot chase across flooded fields, a temple siege alive with fire and elephants, each set piece feels bold and tactile. Anbariv’s choreography keeps strikes heavy and readable.
The score and sound build a charged atmosphere. Sam C.S. leans on brooding synths, while Ilaiyaraaja’s chant-led cues give the past a sacred pulse. Resul Pookutty layers thunder, steel, and whispered Sanskrit for impact. The mix makes clashes feel fated. The visual effects soar in large battles and de-ageing. A few smaller ghostly beats wobble into unconvincing CGI, but the big moments land.
Where The Film Stumbles
The length tests patience in places. Dual timelines knot up in the middle, with dense exposition slowing the engine. The reincarnation frame, while rich, may puzzle viewers who want cleaner lines. Meera’s thread loses steam when the film leans into father-son reckonings. A handful of spectral inserts look dated next to the grand combat.
Verdict: Fierce, Flawed, And Worth The Big Screen
Vrusshabha roars with intent, and most of it connects. It celebrates Mohanlal’s nationwide reach without losing the soul of South cinema. Even with bumps in pacing and a few heavy info drops, the film sticks the emotional landing. It asks how far blood can run from fate, then answers with steel and rain.
Rating: 4 out of 5. See it in cinemas, where the thunder belongs.