By Ayesha Khan 
New Delhi, September 18: The teaser of Vrusshabha landed online this morning, and judging by the noise across social media, director Nanda Kishore may have pulled off something bigger than anyone expected. The clip is barely a minute long, yet it’s already being picked apart frame by frame. The focus, of course, is on Mohanlal, towering in warrior gear, looking equal parts king and weary father figure. There’s no dialogue, just mood. And it’s enough to spark a wave of hype.
More Mood Than Plot
The teaser doesn’t spell out the story, and maybe that’s the point. It’s packed with wide landscapes, clashing steel, a sense of betrayal hanging in the air. India Today described it as a “myth-action drama,” which fits, though fans online seem just as struck by the emotions hinted at between the cuts. One comment doing the rounds reads: “This feels like Mohanlal carrying a kingdom on his shoulders and a curse in his heart.” That’s the kind of response money cannot buy.
Yes, the Baahubali comparisons have already started. They always do when kingdoms and massive sets are involved. But if you look closely, Kishore seems to be playing a slightly different game. There is less flamboyance here, more grit. Whether that works in his favor will only be clear in October.
Kishore’s Biggest Swing Yet
For Nanda Kishore, this film is a turning point. He has had a solid run in Kannada cinema with commercial hits like Victory and Ranna, but Vrusshabha is his shot at the national stage. The film is being shot in Malayalam and Telugu simultaneously, with releases planned in Hindi and Kannada too. That is not a lazy dubbing job. It is an intentional pan-India strategy.
It is also a gamble. The audience that now flocks to pan-India spectacles has grown sharper. They want scale, yes, but also a story that sticks. And if Adipurush taught the industry anything, it is that you cannot ride visuals alone. Kishore knows that.
Release Timing
Mathrubhumi confirmed that Vrusshabha will hit theatres on October 16, 2025. It is a sweet spot, right before the festive rush but close enough to ride the holiday wave. The danger, of course, is competition. Multiple studios eye the same window, and one misstep in timing can slice into collections. Still, the early buzz suggests Vrusshabha will not struggle to find its audience, at least for the first weekend.
Mohanlal guarantees a solid base in Kerala, and the Telugu market could push the numbers further. The wild card is the Hindi belt, which has been unpredictable of late.
Fans Are Already Sold
Online chatter paints a clear picture. People are impressed. Twitter timelines are filled with slow-motion edits of Mohanlal’s entry shot, Instagram reels are looping the background score, and Reddit threads are already debating if this could be his “Baahubali moment.”
But alongside the excitement is cautious curiosity. Kishore is not Rajamouli, not yet anyway. For many viewers outside the south, this is their first real introduction to him. That unknown factor makes the film both risky and intriguing.
What Happens Next
Expect the campaign to ramp up in the coming weeks. A full trailer is tipped to arrive in early October, followed by music launches across cities. Advance bookings will open just before Dussehra. Trade analysts say the numbers could surprise if word-of-mouth clicks early.
But no matter the box-office math, Vrusshabha is already doing the one thing every big release prays for. It has people talking. Kishore’s challenge now is simple on paper but difficult in practice. He must match the promise of that teaser with a story that lingers after the lights come back on.
For the moment, Mohanlal’s warrior king has the stage. The rest is up to the film.
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- Ayesha Khanhttps://hindustanherald.in/author/ayesha/
- Ayesha Khanhttps://hindustanherald.in/author/ayesha/
- Ayesha Khanhttps://hindustanherald.in/author/ayesha/
- Ayesha Khanhttps://hindustanherald.in/author/ayesha/
