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Rao Bahadur review
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Filmi Score
Very good
15 reviews
69
What the critics say
Audience Score · not yet · appears once three readers have written a review
Critics widely praise Satyadev's career-best performance and the film's bold, original craft and social commentary, though most flag a slow, overlong pacing that makes it a demanding watch rather than a mass one.
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16+
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Summary
Rao Bahadur (2026, Telugu) has a Filmi Score of 69 from 15 critic reviews, is rated 16+ by Filmi (CBFC: U/A 16+), and streams on Netflix in the US.
Plagued by guilt and fear, an eccentric aristocrat retreats into his ancestral manor, creating an alternate world that deeply blurs reality and imagination.
Where to watchAvailability by JustWatch · some watch links pay filmi.ai a small commission; it never changes what we show or how we score.
Box office collection
₹$≈ at ₹88/$, as of 26 Oct 2026
₹11.45 CrWorldwide gross
India gross₹6.95 Cr
Overseas gross₹4.50 Cr
As of 18 Sep 2026 · Sacnilk
view →
Cast & crew
Directed and written by Venkatesh Maha · music Smaran Sai
Cast
Satyadev KancharanaLead
Vikas Muppala
Deepa Thomas
Master Kiran
Pranay Vaka
Bala Parasar
Anand
Venkat Showrya
Kunal Kaushik
Venkatesh Maha
Full crew
SoundAshwin Rajashekar · Aravind Menon
Production designRohan Singh
CostumeShilpa G.N.S.
ChoreographyMuppiri Shravan
VFXRamji Dott
MakeupAratrika Das
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Summary
Plagued by guilt and fear, an eccentric aristocrat retreats into his ancestral manor, creating an alternate world that deeply blurs reality and imagination.
Rao Bahadur (2026, Telugu) has a Filmi Score of 69 from 15 critic reviews, is rated 16+ by Filmi (CBFC: U/A 16+), and streams on Netflix in the US.
Where to watch
Availability by JustWatch · some watch links pay filmi.ai a small commission; it never changes what we show or how we score.What the critics said
15 reviews · the critic’s own number where they gave one
Five of 15 · the critic’s own number where they gave one
Nona Prince · YouTube · transcript read · 25 Aug 2026
Reviewer calls it one of the best films from Telugu cinema in over a decade, with Satyadev delivering a transformative performance and the… Watch it there →
Derived by Filmi
95
Baradwaj Rangan ✓ Claimed · 5 Jul 2026
Rangan calls Rao Bahadur a bold, inventive message film about social conditioning, anchored by a career-best Satyadev performance and confident… Read it there →
Derived by Filmi
91
Sruthi Ganapathy Raman · 3 Jul 2026
Describes the film as a superbly designed, almost gothic psychological drama carried by a career-defining Satyadev performance and striking craft;… Read it there →
Derived by Filmi
85
Deeksha Sharma · YouTube, Hindi · rating spoken aloud · 6 Jul 2026
4/5, said on camera. Published nowhere. Watch it there →
Stated in video
Filmi’s reading 82
80
Sangeetha Devi Dundoo · 3 Jul 2026
Finds the film's absurdist theatricality, world-building and Satya Dev's performance rewarding, praising its handling of caste and social… Read it there →
Derived by Filmi
80
3 Jul 2026
Rao Bahadur Movie Review: Satyadev shines in a rare and rewarding psychological drama Read it there →
Published · 3.5/5
Filmi’s reading 78
70
Yashaswini Sri · 3 Jul 2026
Rao Bahadur review: A strange, stubborn film that asks what we inherit besides property Read it there →
Published · 3/5
Filmi’s reading 70
60
Rao Bahadur Review: An Unconventional Film That Stays With You Read it there →
Published · 2.75/5
Filmi’s reading 68
55
YouTube, Telugu · transcript read · 3 Jul 2026
A strange, ambitious magical-realism drama the critic liked but expects to divide audiences. Praised Satyadev's performance and the film's… Watch it there →
Derived by Filmi
68
YouTube, Telugu · transcript read · 3 Jul 2026
Praises the film's world-building, Satyadev's performance and background score as top-notch, but flags uneven supporting casting and a slow,… Watch it there →
Derived by Filmi
65
Janani K · 3 Jul 2026
Rao Bahadur review: Satyadev carries a film that takes too long to find itself Read it there →
Published · 2.5/5
Filmi’s reading 63
50
Sashidhar Adivi · 3 Jul 2026
Rao Bahadur Review: A Slow-burn Meditation on Bloodline and Ego | Filmfare.com Read it there →
Published · 2.5/5
Filmi’s reading 60
50
Anwar Mohammad · 3 Jul 2026
‘రావు బహదూర్’ రివ్యూ: అర్థం చేసుకొన్నవాళ్లకు అర్థం చేసుకొన్నంత! Read it there →
Published · 2.75/5
Filmi’s reading 52
55
BVS Prakash · 3 Jul 2026
Rao Bahadur Review: Tedious Narration Derails the Psychological Drama Read it there →
Published · 2/5
Filmi’s reading 32
40
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 15 readings; 9 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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Rao Bahadur: quick answers
Box office, where to watch and what critics said — from the same data as the page.
What is Rao Bahadur's box office collection?
Rao Bahadur has a box office collection of ₹11.45 Cr worldwide (gross), made up of ₹6.95 Cr India gross and ₹4.50 Cr overseas gross. Figures are Sacnilk's, as of 18 Sep 2026. Grosses are contested in India, and money never feeds the Filmi Score.
How much has Rao Bahadur collected at the box office?
Rao Bahadur has collected ₹11.45 Cr worldwide, as of 18 Sep 2026, according to Sacnilk.
Where can I watch Rao Bahadur?
Rao Bahadur is streaming on OTT: Netflix (India, the US, the UK and Canada). Availability comes from JustWatch and is checked every Friday.
What did critics say about Rao Bahadur?
Rao Bahadur has a Filmi Score of 69 (Very good), the mean of 15 readings of critic reviews, one per review. Readings run from 32 (Deccan Chronicle) to 95 (Nona Prince (YouTube)). 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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