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Mahanati review

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2018 · Telugu · 2h 56m · Drama, History · CBFC U
Keep your shortlist together and see where it’s streaming
Filmi Score
Very good
11 reviews
76
7 exceptional2 very good1 good1 mixed
What the critics say

Critics widely call Mahanati one of the best biopics ever made, crediting Keerthy Suresh's transformation and the Dulquer Salmaan-Samantha ensemble, though a few note slower pacing, a slack second half, or scripted-feeling scenes.

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Age guidance
13 and up
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13+
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Summary

Mahanati (2018, Telugu) has a Filmi Score of 76 from 11 critic reviews, is rated 13+ by Filmi (CBFC: U), and streams on Prime Video in the US.

Mahanati depicts the life and career of one of Telugu cinema's greatest and most iconic starlets, the first Indian female super star, Savitri.

Where to watch

Summary

Mahanati depicts the life and career of one of Telugu cinema's greatest and most iconic starlets, the first Indian female super star, Savitri.

Mahanati (2018, Telugu) has a Filmi Score of 76 from 11 critic reviews, is rated 13+ by Filmi (CBFC: U), and streams on Prime Video in the US.

Where to watch

What the critics said

11 reviews · the critic’s own number where they gave one
Five of 11 · the critic’s own number where they gave one
Krishna Sripada · 9 May 2018
The News Minute calls Mahanati probably the movie of the year, praising Keerthy Suresh and Samantha's performances, the screenplay and… Read it there →
Derived by Filmi
92
Mahanati Movie Review {4/5}: Watching ‘Mahanati’ is an experience one won’t forget soon Read it there →
Published · 4/5 Filmi’s reading 86
80
Deccan Chronicle calls Mahanati a must-watch tribute anchored by Keerthy Suresh's performance, with only mild notes about Vijay Deverakonda's… Read it there →
Derived by Filmi
85
Manoj Kumar R · 11 May 2018
Mahanati movie review: Savitri’s Devdas-esque story makes for good drama Read it there →
Published · 4/5 Filmi’s reading 82
80
Sangeetha Devi Dundoo · 9 May 2018
The Hindu calls Mahanati a treasure trove worth watching, praising the Keerthy-Dulquer pairing and technical craft, with only a mild complaint… Read it there →
Derived by Filmi
82
Janani K · 10 May 2018
Mahanati Movie Review: Nag Ashwin crafts a soulful ode to Savitri's life Read it there →
Published · 4/5 Filmi’s reading 80
80
Mahanati review by jeevi - Telugu cinema review - Keerthy Suresh, Dulquer Salmaan, Samantha Akkineni, Vijay Devarakonda Read it there →
Published · 3.5/5 Filmi’s reading 80
70
9 May 2018
Published · 3/5 Filmi’s reading 78
60
Priyanka Sundar · 10 May 2018
3.5/5, stated in the text — not a formal rating. Read it there →
Stated in text Filmi’s reading 76
70
Mahanati: Here is a ‘great actress’ | Movie rating: 3/5 Read it there →
Published · 3/5 Filmi’s reading 50
60
Hemanth Kumar CR · 9 May 2018
The critic praises Keerthy Suresh, Dulquer Salmaan and the film's craft but faults Mahanati for staying dutifully factual rather than dramatically… Read it there →
Derived by Filmi
48
How this number was made. We read every review and derive a 0–100 reading from each — including where the critic printed a number, which stays first on its row, because it’s theirs. The Filmi Score is the mean of 11 readings; 7 of those rows also carry the critic’s own rating, shown beside ours. Rubric v2.1, computed 26 Oct 2026. Any critic can ask us to remove a derived reading.
PublishedStated in videoDerived by FilmiNo score
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Mahanati: quick answers

Box office, where to watch and what critics said — from the same data as the page.

Where can I watch Mahanati?

Mahanati is streaming on OTT: Prime Video (India, the US, the UK and Canada). It can also be rented or bought on Amazon Video (India), Google Play Movies (the US) and YouTube (the US, the UK and Canada). Availability comes from JustWatch and is checked every Friday.

What did critics say about Mahanati?

Mahanati has a Filmi Score of 76 (Very good), the mean of 11 readings of critic reviews, one per review. Readings run from 48 (Firstpost) to 92 (The News Minute). Every review and how it was scored is listed below.

What readers say

The Audience Score appears once three readers’ reviews have been read under the rubric — built from what people write, never from the rating numbers.
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