Movie Name : Junior
Release Date : July 18, 2025
Cast : Kireeti, Sreeleela, V.Ravi Chandran, Genelia, Rao Ramesh, Sudharani, Achyut rao, Satya, Viva Harsha etc.
Director : Radha Krishna
Music Director : Devi Sri Prasad
Telugumopo.com Rating : 2.5/5
Story:
Abhi (played by Kireeti) is born to elderly parents, but soon after his birth, his mother dies. His father, who is also devastated, brings up Abhi with excessive fondness and care. But this excess later proves to be a burden for Abhi, restricting his independence and personality.
When he goes to college, Abhi is in need of a life of independence and wants to make new memories. Here, he meets Spoorthi (Sreeleela), and the two fall in love. The two of them work on a project together, which gets both of them an opportunity to work for a renowned company.
On his first day at work, Abhi encounters a problem with the company’s strict owner, Vijaya (Genelia). When he is considering quitting, a shocking discovery about his current life emerges – a revelation that takes the film in a different direction. The remainder of the narrative shows Abhi’s emotional roller-coaster trip of love, conflict, and an unforeseen revelation affecting his future.
Review:
Kireeti, steps into Tollywood with Junior — a commercial entertainer that tries hard to blend youthful fun with emotional depth. While the film itself follows a tried-and-tested path, Kireeti’s performance emerges as its strongest asset.
In his very first film, Kireeti shows promise with his energetic screen presence and sharp dance moves. The song “Viral Vayyari” is a clear highlight, with his performance evoking strong Jr. NTR vibes — a star Kireeti openly looks up to. His ease in dance, action, and emotional scenes proves he has the potential to evolve into a solid commercial hero.
Sreeleela is charming to look at on-screen, particularly in the songs, but unfortunately, her character lacks considerable depth and almost vanishes after the interval. Genelia has returned to Telugu cinema after more than ten years and plays a significant role – however, it doesn’t help that with her naturally vibrant screen image her role is much more subdued. While her performance is competent, it is not overly memorable.
Veteran actor Ravichandran does well as the hero’s father, and Rao Ramesh brings his usual gravitas to the screen. However, the antagonists fall flat. Achyuth Kumar and the other villainous characters are underwritten, failing to create any tension. Comedian Viva Harsha and the rest of the supporting cast deliver okay performances, but nothing particularly memorable.
The narrative opens on a breezy note — college life, friendship, and a budding romance. Just when things start to get predictable, an emotional twist is introduced, pushing the story into more serious territory. The second half focuses on a strained father-daughter relationship. Unfortunately, the emotional connection feels forced due to a weak conflict setup.
The village episodes in the latter part of the film seem heavily and offer only lukewarm engagement. In contrast, the college portions in the first half are relatively better in terms of entertainment. The romantic track is underwhelming and mostly serves as a backdrop for the songs rather than enriching the story.
While the film attempts a heartfelt emotional twist near the climax, it doesn’t do enough to lift the overall narrative or connect deeply with the audience.
Devi Sri Prasad’s music packs energy and enhances the appeal of the hero.Two aspects of the background music and songs to dance to; even, though the songs may be too much, it will elevate Kireeti’s appeal. For the appeal of color and richness throughout, credit should go to the cinematography from Senthil Kumar. The dialogues from Kalyan Chakravarthy hit in a few of the scenes.
Director of Junior, Radha Krishna Reddy seems to have been focused on putting Kireeti’s strengths on display – which, he achieved. However, the screenplay played it way too safe with a formulaic template with no freshness, emotional impact, or anything to pique your interest, and the movie lacked any weight.
Junior serves its purpose as a launch for Kireeti, who manages to impress with his confidence, screen presence, and performance. But beyond that, the film fails to stand out. With a predictable plot, routine execution, and average emotional depth, Junior falls short of delivering a memorable cinematic experience.
