Meherhospital at 15:07, 14 April 2026

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{{Short description|2026 Indian Telugu film by Sharan Koppisetty}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2026}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Cheekatilo
| image = Cheekatilo.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Promotional release poster
| director = Sharan Koppisetty
| story =
| producer = [[D. Suresh Babu]]
| writer = [[Chandra Pemmaraju]]
| screenplay =
| starring = {{plain list|
* [[Sobhita Dhulipala]]
* [[Vishwadev Rachakonda]]
}}
| music = [[Sricharan Pakala]]
| cinematography = Mallikarjun
| editing = KSN
| studio = [[Suresh Productions]]
| distributor = [[Amazon MGM Studios]] (via [[Amazon Prime Video|Prime Video]])
| released = {{Film date|df=yes|2026|1|23}}
| runtime = 126 minutes
| language = Telugu
| country = India
| budget =
| gross =
}}
'''''Cheekatilo''''' ({{Translation|In the darkness}}) is a 2026 Indian [[Telugu language|Telugu]]-language [[Crime film|crime]] [[Thriller film|thriller]] film directed by Sharan Koppisetty and written by [[Chandra Pemmaraju]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-01-08 |title=Sobhita Dhulipala-starrer Cheekatilo to premiere on OTT on this date |url=https://www.cinemaexpress.com/telugu/news/2026/Jan/08/sobhita-dhulipala-starrer-cheekatilo-to-premiere-on-ott-on-this-date |access-date=2026-01-28 |website=Cinema Express |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-01-08 |title=Sobhita Dhulipala leads new Telugu crime thriller Cheekatilo. Check release date |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/entertainment/ott/story/sobhita-dhulipala-leads-new-telugu-crime-thriller-cheekatilo-check-release-date-2848666-2026-01-08 |access-date=2026-01-28 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref> Produced by [[D. Suresh Babu]] for [[Suresh Productions]], it stars [[Sobhita Dhulipala]] and [[Vishwadev Rachakonda]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Producer Suresh Babu On ‘Cheekatilo’ and Changing Film Landscape: If OTT Platforms Don't Buy The Film Today, You Don't Know What To Do |url=https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/features/interviews/producer-suresh-babu-on-cheekatilo-and-changing-film-landscape-if-ott-platforms-dont-buy-the-film-today-you-dont-know-what-to-do |access-date=2026-01-28 |website=The Hollywood Reporter India |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Sobhita Dhulipala's Look As a True Crime Podcaster in Cheekatilo Out, Film to Release on This Date {{!}} Filmfare.com |url=https://www.filmfare.com/news/south/sobhita-dhulipalas-look-as-a-true-crime-podcaster-in-cheekatilo-out-film-to-release-on-this-date-80741.html |access-date=2026-01-28 |website=www.filmfare.com |language=en}}</ref>

The film was released on 23 January 2026 on [[Amazon Prime Video]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sobhita Dhulipala's Telugu Crime Thriller 'Cheekatilo' Sets Premiere Date |url=https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/features/insight/prime-video-sets-january-premiere-for-telugu-crime-thriller-cheekatilo-starring-sobhita-dhulipala |access-date=2026-01-28 |website=The Hollywood Reporter India |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=PTI |date=2026-01-08 |title=Sobhita Dhulipala’s Cheekatilo: Prime Video Announces Streaming Date |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/sobhita-dhulipalas-cheekatilo-ott-release-date-announced-1929112 |access-date=2026-01-28 |website=www.deccanchronicle.com |language=en}}</ref>

== Plot ==
The film starts with a dancer rani's murder 20 years ago in a peculiar way that Jasmine flower on her head. Her friend went to the police station to complain about this. But the police refused to take the case. In the present Sandhya is working as a journalist on a TV channel. She is in love with amar who is 2 years younger than her. Sandhya is a stubborn character and will not let anything hurt her feelings. One day she found out that her report about a case to the TV channel was changed for the trp. She got upset. And her friend bobby gave her the idea to start a podcast which can give them freedom to investigate and expose true crime.
One day Sandhya's family decided to go to amars home for their engagement. When they return from his home she found that her friend was murdered in her flat with her boyfriend in a brutal manner. After Sandhya’s best friend is found dead in a suspicious way, she resigned her job from the channel and she starts investigating the case. She starts her own podcast. Her search for the truth leads her to a dark past and forces her to face her own fears.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cheekatilo (2026) {{!}} Rotten Tomatoes|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cheekatilo_2026|website=www.rottentomatoes.com|access-date=2026-01-30|language=en}}</ref>

== Cast ==
* [[Sobhita Dhulipala]] as Sandhya Nelluri
* [[Vishwadev Rachakonda]] as Amar
* [[Chaitanya Krishna]] as Rajeev
* Vadlamani Srinivas as Anand
* [[Ravindra Vijay]] as Chinna Babu
* [[Isha Chawla]] as Ananditha
* [[Aamani]] as Padma
* [[Jhansi (actress)|Jhansi]] as Sandhya's mother
* [[Suresh (actor, born 1963)|Suresh]] as Rajamani
* [[Posani Krishna Murali]] as Nallama Reddy
* [[Aziz Naser]] as Irfan
* [[Ravi Mariya]] as Buchi Raju
* [[Pradeep Kondiparthi]] as Sandhya's father
* [[Sri Lakshmi (actress)|Sri Lakshmi]] as Sandhya's grandma
* [[Ravi Varma (East Godavari actor)|Ravi Varma]] as Ravikanth
* [[Harsha Chemudu]] as Murali
* Aditi Myakal as Bobby
* Kranthi Balivada as Vani
* Ramya Ponduri
* Sonakshi Verma
* Harshini
* Swara

== Music ==
The background score and songs were composed by [[Sricharan Pakala]].

{{Track listing
| headline = Track listing
| all_lyrics = Chetan Prasad
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| title1 = Theme Song
| extra1 = Sahithi Chaganti, Sricharan Pakala
| title2 = Aigini
| extra2 = Sindhu Budhavarapu
}}

==Release and reception==
''Cheekatilo'' was released on 23 January 2026 on [[Amazon Prime Video]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-01-08 |title=Sobhita Dhulipala Starrer Telugu Crime Drama Cheekatilo Release Date Out |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/art-entertainment/south-cinema/sobhita-dhulipala-starrer-telugu-crime-drama-cheekatilo-release-date-out |access-date=2026-01-28 |website=Outlook India |language=en}}</ref>

Sanjana Pulugurtha of ''[[The Times of India]]'' rated it 3 out of 5 and cited it as a "well-staged thriller despite flaws", referring to the writing.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cheekatilo Movie Review: A well-staged thriller that holds attention despite flaws |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movie-reviews/cheekatilo/ottmoviereview/127532382.cms |access-date=2026-01-28 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref> Echoing the same, Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of ''[[The Hindu]]'' wrote that "''Cheekatilo'' is an engaging, thoughtful drama that finds its strength in empathy rather than spectacle, but it could have benefited from sharper writing".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dundoo |first=Sangeetha Devi |date=2026-01-23 |title=‘Cheekatilo’ movie review: Sobhita Dhulipala anchors a crime drama that occasionally thrills |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/cheekatilo-movie-review-sobhita-dhulipalas-telugu-crime-drama-streams-on-prime-video/article70536586.ece |access-date=2026-01-28 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Neeshita Nyayapati of ''[[Hindustan Times]]'' rated it 2.5 out of 5 felt that a film like this needed more "sensitivity and nuance" citing its subject.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-01-23 |title=Cheekatilo movie review: Sobhita Dhulipala film questions society for enabling abuse, but falters in places |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/telugu-cinema/cheekatilo-movie-review-sobhita-dhulipala-film-questions-society-for-enabling-abuse-but-falters-in-places-prime-video-101769069324000.html |access-date=2026-01-28 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title|31852038|Cheekatilo}}

[[Category:2026 films]]
[[Category:2026 Telugu-language films]]
[[Category:2026 Indian films]]
[[Category:Films set in 1999]]
[[Category:Films set in Hyderabad, India]]
[[Category:Films shot in Hyderabad, India]]
[[Category:Films set in Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:Suresh Productions films]]
[[Category:Indian crime thriller films]]
[[Category:2026 crime thriller films]]
[[Category:Telugu-language crime thriller films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Sricharan Pakala]]
[[Category:Amazon Prime Video original films]]
[[Category:Indian direct-to-video films]]
[[Category:Amazon MGM Studios films]]
[[Category:2026 direct-to-video films]]

Cheekatilo - Revision history

Meherhospital at 15:07, 14 April 2026