Agadha Movie Review: Kamakshi Bhaskarla’s Horror Thriller Has a Promising Premise but Misses the Scare Factor

Movie Name: Agadha

Release Date: August 14, 2026
Starring: Kamakshi Bhaskarla, Shravan Reddy, Ulka Gupta, Jovika Vijay Kumar
Director: M. S. Raju
Producer: Kasi Visalakshi Balusu
Music Director: Rakesh Venkatapuram
Cinematographer: Nani Chamidisetty
Editor: Junaid Siddiqui

Related Links: Trailer

Popular producer M. S. Raju has returned to direction with the mystic horror thriller Agadha. Starring Kamakshi Bhaskarla in the lead, the movie has hit the big screens today. So, does this horror thriller manage to deliver the chills? Let’s find out.

Story:

Mahima (Ulka Gupta) and her family become victims of an evil force named Agadha. Soon, one mysterious incident after another starts taking place. Mahima’s relative and a famous yogini, Mahadevi (Kamakshi Bhaskarla), comes to their rescue.

Who is Agadha? Why is it so powerful? Did Mahadevi manage to confront Agadha? These questions form the crux of the story.

Plus Points:

The visual aesthetics are handled neatly and create the right horror-film vibe. The colour palette is perfectly in sync with the dark nature of Agadha. The locations also look natural, and credit goes to the technical team for creating the right atmosphere.

The second half has a couple of good moments. The scene where Kamakshi Bhaskarla attempts to control a spirit-possessed person is effective. The key twist revealed in the latter half is also decent.

This genre has almost become a walk in the park for Kamakshi Bhaskarla, and the actress once again does her job quite well in Agadha. Shravan Reddy, Jovika Vijay Kumar, and Ulka Gupta are fine in their respective roles.

Minus Points:

Agadha had the potential to be an engaging horror thriller, but the execution fails to make a strong impact. The screenplay remains flat for most of the film, with very few genuinely exciting elements.

The much-needed thrills are missing big time. The issue is not with the jump scares, especially since the team had already set the right expectations in that regard. The bigger problem is the lack of tension. This makes it difficult for the audience to remain invested in the story.

The narrative also lacks enough meat and urgency. The pacing is slow in most parts, with the first half being particularly underwhelming as it mainly focuses on setting up the conflict. Even after an important character goes missing, the people close to him don’t seem to react much, which feels quite surprising.

Technical Aspects:

Rakesh Venkatapuram’s background score and Nani Chamidisetty’s visuals are impactful. The editing, however, could have been much better. The production values are fine.

Coming to M. S. Raju’s direction, there is a lot left to be desired. The subject looks interesting on paper, but it hasn’t been translated effectively onto the screen. Apart from a few moments, the screenplay fails to generate enough excitement.

Verdict:

On the whole, Agadha is a below-par horror thriller with a decent premise, but the storytelling fails to live up to its potential. Kamakshi Bhaskarla is neat in her role, while the rest of the cast deliver decent performances. The much-needed thrills are largely missing, which is a major drawback for a film in this genre.

There are only a handful of moments that manage to hold our attention, but overall, Agadha falls short of being a satisfying horror thriller.