Streaming · Telugu film · 2019
ISmart Shankar
ఇస్మార్ట్ శంకర్
ISmart Shankar release date: 18 July 2019 (theatres). Directed by Puri Jagannadh; starring Ram Pothineni, Satyadev Kancharana and Nidhhi Agerwal.
- Film release
- 18 July 2019 · All 2019 films
- Director
- Puri Jagannadh
- Music
- Mani Sharma
- Production
- Puri Connects
- Producer
- Puri Jagannadh, Charmy Kaur
- Writing credits
- Puri Jagannadh
- Runtime
- 141 min
- Language
- Telugu
OTT release
Streaming now on ZEE5; no start date is on file (the platform does not publish one).
Film release: 18 July 2019 · all 2019 Telugu films.
Source: ZEE5 (platform listing), checked 10 October 2026. Only what the source states is shown.
Watch on ZEE5 — official listing
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iSmart Shankar is a 2019 Telugu-language science-fiction action film directed by Puri Jagannadh, who co-produced it with Charmme Kaur. It stars Ram Pothineni, with Satyadev, Nabha Natesh, Nidhhi Agerwal, Ashish Vidyarthi and Raj Deepak Shetty. Released on 18 July 2019, it was a box office success and led to a sequel, Double iSmart (2024).
Story
iSmart Shankar is a street-smart hired killer who is jailed after a political assassination and a shootout that costs him the woman he loves. Meanwhile, a CBI officer investigating the assassination is killed before he can expose the people behind it. His superiors, working with a neuroscientist who has been experimenting with memory transfer, place the dead officer’s memories in Shankar’s brain. Shankar begins to switch between his own mind and the officer’s, and the two personalities pursue the same conspiracy for different reasons.
Cast
- Ram Pothineni in the lead
- Satyadev, Nabha Natesh and Nidhhi Agerwal
- Ashish Vidyarthi and Raj Deepak Shetty
Production
Principal photography began in Hyderabad in January 2019, moved to Goa in March, and finished with a schedule in Varanasi; filming wrapped in May 2019. Mani Sharma composed the music, Raj Thota was the cinematographer and Junaid Siddiqui the editor.
Release and reception
The film received mixed reviews. Critics praised Ram’s performance, the music and the action but criticised the script; Firstpost felt it worked despite its crassness thanks to its story, the director’s conviction and Mani Sharma’s score, while Sify called it a loud mass action thriller aimed at front-benchers. It became a box office success, and according to Ram Pothineni‘s profile it grossed over ₹90 crore, his biggest hit up to then. The satellite and digital rights went to Zee, and a Hindi dub was released by Aditya Movies.
Sequel
After Puri Jagannadh’s Jana Gana Mana was shelved following the failure of Liger, a spiritual sequel was developed and announced in May 2023. Double iSmart was released on 15 August 2024 and was a box office bomb.
Sources: Wikipedia and Wikidata.
Cast of ISmart Shankar (2019)
- Ram Pothineni as iSmart Shankar
- Satyadev Kancharana as Arun
- Nidhhi Agerwal as Sarah
- Sayaji Shinde as CBI Officer
- Ashish Vidyarthi as Ramamoorthy
- Raj Deepak Shetty as Devendra Viswanath
- Nabha Natesh as Chandini
- Tulasi as Viswanath's Wife
Additional cast
Further acting credits recorded for this film; voice-only and dubbing credits are excluded.
- Getup Srinu as Shankar's Friend
- Puri Jagannadh
- Gangavva as A Woman
Also in the cast (TMDB): Raghu Babu as Raghu, Puneet Issar as Kashi Viswanath, Jayalalita as A Woman, Vikas Sethi as DCP Dharam.
Character names as listed on TMDB, checked 10 Oct 2026.
Source record: Q64768638 on Wikidata. Dates are those on record and can change; this is not a studio announcement. Spotted an error? Send a correction.