Lenin - "The Oddity"

Lenin

2026, Telugu

Director: Murali Kishore Abburu

Stars: Akhil Akkineni, Bhagyashri Borse, Pramod Panju, Easwari Rao

Mohan's Measure ⭐ 

Many conservative Hindus have developed a soft spot for Homer this year, likening his two illustrious epics to our own tale of complex personalities and moral dilemmas, the Mahabharata. 

Having nothing do with the revolutionary title, Lenin plays off the Mahabharata in creating its own vision of Helen and her rescuers. In this case, she is epitomized as Bharathi, a pampered young woman participating in a festival dedicated to Draupadi, the heroine of the Mahabharata who is only used in reference. The story continues in this vein in two men, raised by the same Kunti Devi-like mother, who manipulate, backstab, murder and pillage, all for the sake of winning the glam girl over, and if not, destroy her.

The Mahabharata theme continues with occasional narration by a fatalistic cop, who does literally nothing to avoid all the chest beating and bloodshed. Ironically, the village setting is supposed to be a place where no blood is shed.

The pathos of the original is put aside for disturbing levels of toxic masculinity and the moral absolute of scraggly good guy winning over psychopathic bad guy. The very idea of Dharma and honor are put to task, as we are once again feasted to recreations of Pushpa and Rangasthalam to try and convince us that this movie too is deserving to be a hit.

The only things deserving to be hit are the people who came up with this garbage.