Horror lovers, it’s spooky time! The makers of Kishkindhapuri dropped the trailer on Wednesday at a launch event in Prasad’s, giving audiences a glimpse of what looks like a haunted ride that quickly spirals out of control. Starring Bellamkonda Sreenivas and Anupama Parameswaran as ghost walk guides, the film blends supernatural scares with action-heavy confrontations.
The trailer opens inside a crumbling mansion, where a seemingly harmless ghost tour takes a sinister turn when a dormant spirit wakes up through an antique radio. What begins as spooky entertainment soon turns into a battle for survival, with the menace extending beyond the mansion walls to involve the local village. In a chilling twist towards the end, Anupama’s character appears to be possessed by the ghost, setting up a showdown with Sreenivas’s protagonist, who refuses to back down.
Koushik Pegallapati, who made his directorial debut with the existential drama Chaavu Kaburu Challaga, seems to be aiming for a stylised horror-thriller this time around. The visuals are moody and atmospheric, with Chinmay Salaskar’s cinematography, Niranjan Devaramane’s sharp editing, and Manisha Dutt’s production design all working to heighten the eeriness. Chaitan Bharadwaj’s background score adds to the tension, though the trailer’s climax leans into familiar village folklore tropes.
For the lead actors, Kishkindhapuri is a crucial release. Bellamkonda Sreenivas, whose recent outing Bhairavam failed to impress, will be hoping for a comeback. Anupama Parameswaran, fresh off critical acclaim for Paradha, but with limited box-office traction, also has plenty riding on this one. The trailer positions their pairing as central to the thrills, with the ghostly conflict serving as the hook.
Recently the makers wanted to avoid a direct clash and considered postponing the film a day later but then changed their approach. Now. Kishkindhapuri releases on September 12, clashing with Teja Sajja’s much-hyped superhero outing Mirai. While Mirai has been marketed as a large-scale spectacle, Kishkindhapuri is clearly banking on horror-thriller fans to show up for the chills, jumps and folklore-inspired storyline.
Backed by Sahu Garapati under Shine Screens, the film’s crew has screenplay contributions from Darahas Palakollu and K Bala Ganesh, art direction by D Siva Kamesh, and creative inputs from G Kanishka.
