| File:Euphoria (2026 film).jpg
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| Directed by | Gunasekhar |
|---|---|
| Written by | Gunasekhar |
| Produced by | Template:Plain list |
| Starring | Template:Plain list |
| Cinematography | Praveen K Pothan |
| Edited by | Prawin Pudi |
| Music by | Kaala Bhairava
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| Country | India |
| Language | Telugu
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Euphoria is a 2026 Indian Telugu-language social drama film written and directed by Gunasekhar.[1] The film features Bhumika Chawla, Sara Arjun and Vignesh Gavireddy in lead roles, while Gautham Vasudev Menon and Nassar play supporting roles.[2] The music was composed by Kaala Bhairava with cinematography by Praveen K Pothan and editing by Prawin Pudi. The film was released on 6 February 2026.[3]
Plot
The plot draws from a 2022 incident in Jubilee Hills, where five minors from influential families sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl. After leaving a non-alcoholic party, she unsuspectingly entered a vehicle, leading to a brutal sexual assault by the five minors, that sparked nationwide outrage. True to the toxic social climate surrounding such cases, an inevitable wave of victim-blaming followed. When a minor girl is assaulted, it raises pertinent questions that the authorities and society cannot look away from. In Euphoria, Chaitra (Sara Arjun) portrays a fictional character inspired by the 17-year-old survivor. She pointedly asks the judge during the POCSO trial if it is a crime for girls to enter a pub, questioning why she should live in shame when she was not at fault and had stayed within her boundaries. Though she feels grief and anger, she never flinches from asking these questions. The parents of the minors who assaulted Chaitra try to destroy the evidence of the assault using their influence except Vindhya Vemulapalli (Bhumika), the mother of male protagonist, Vikas (Vignesh Gavireddy). With the help of video recording the four boys have taken during the incident, a POCSO case is booked and they are sent to serve juvenile time. Vindhya righteously gets her son punished for his brutal crime. But then, she is also a mother. Hence she gets her son, Vikas out on parole, and tries to prepare him for BITSAT. But since juvenile system changed him, and angry at his mother, he calls his friends and gets into drugs by running away mid-traffic from his mother. Vindhya searches for him, finds him and brings him home. When he fails to listen, in anguish, Vindhya starts drinking. Unable to see his mother in such a condition, Vikas starts preparing for BITSAT and Vindhya prepares him. But the night before exam, his friends tell him of Vindhya handing over the phone he disposed in his toilet containing the evidence of him and his friends raping Chaitra to the police commissioner, Jayadev Nair (Gautam Menon). Due to this, he does not come for the exam on time. When he asks why he should do all this, Jayadev questions whether he even regrets what he did, and if he regrets it, why hasn't Vikas cried even once since the trial? Vikas then gives the exam, but since he is a criminal, he needs to be cleared by appearing in front of IAS officer as judge. And that officer is none other than Chaitra. Though she remembers all that Vikas and his friends did, she remains professional and interviews Vikas. As he answers all questions correctly, she grants him permission. It is then that Vikas goes to his mother Vindhya and cries in remorse and grief, while Chaitra observes from afar, gets into her Govt. provided vehicle and goes away. Mother and son bond over a new beginning, experiencing real euphoria of life's ups and downs, not the artificial euphoria Vikas and his friends experienced through substance abuse. Vindhya files a lawsuit against herself, holding herself responsible for how her son, Vikas turned out. After hearing her argument, the judge (Nassar) judges that Vindhya has already attained her punishment, and contributed to trying hard and reforming her spoilt son.
Cast
Music
The background score and songs were composed by Kaala Bhairava in his first collaboration with Gunasekhar.
Release and reception
Euphoria was released on 6 February 2026.[4] Apart from Telugu, the film was dubbed and released in Tamil under the same title.Template:Cn
Yashaswini Sri of The Indian Express rated the film 4 out of 5, appreciating Gunasekhar's direction, Kaala Bhairava's score, and the lead cast performances.[5] Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of The Hindu too praised Gunasekhar's work writing that "Gunasekhar delivers a sharp fictional drama rooted in a harrowing true story".[6] In contrast, Suresh Kavirayani of The New Indian Express opined that despite a strong premise, the film loses grip due to flawed narration and inconsistent storytelling.[7]
References
- ↑ Mahesh Babu Calls Gunasekhar’s Euphoria A 'Must-Watch Film', Congratulates Team. News18. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
- ↑ Sara Arjun on her debut Telugu film: 'Signed Gunashekar's 'Euphoria' before 'Dhurandhar' was even on my horizon' - Exclusive!. The Times of India(2026-01-12). Retrieved 2026-02-19.
- ↑ Bhumika Chawla leads Gunasekhar’s Euphoria, check release date here, Acharya, T. Maruthi. India Today(2025-12-01). Retrieved 2026-02-19.
- ↑ Gunasekhar’s Euphoria releases along half a dozen films, Kavirayani, Suresh. Cinema Express(2026-02-05). Retrieved 2026-02-19.
- ↑ Euphoria movie review: A gut-punch of a film that refuses to look away. The Indian Express(2026-02-06). Retrieved 2026-02-19.
- ↑ ‘Euphoria’ movie review: Gunasekhar’s part gritty social drama raises relevant questions. The Hindu(2026-02-06). Retrieved 2026-02-19.
- ↑ Euphoria Movie Review: Right intent let down by flawed execution, Kavirayani, Suresh. The New Indian Express(2026-02-09). Retrieved 2026-02-19.