Released · Telugu film · 2018
Bharat Ane Nenu
భరత్ అనే నేను
Bharat Ane Nenu release date: 20 April 2018 (theatres). Directed by Koratala Siva; starring Mahesh Babu, Kiara Advani and Prakash Raj.
- Film release
- 20 April 2018 · All 2018 films
- Director
- Koratala Siva
- Music
- Devi Sri Prasad
- Production
- DVV Entertainments
- Writing credits
- Koratala Siva
- Runtime
- 173 min
- Language
- Telugu
OTT release
No streaming platform is on file for this film.
Film release: 20 April 2018 · all 2018 Telugu films.
Source: the film’s Wikipedia article, checked 25 September 2026. It does not name a streaming platform or date; this page says so rather than guessing.
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Bharat Ane Nenu (meaning “I am Bharat”) is a 2018 Telugu-language political action drama written and directed by Koratala Siva and produced by D. V. V. Danayya. Mahesh Babu plays the title role, with Kiara Advani, Prakash Raj, R. Sarathkumar, Aamani, Posani Krishna Murali, P. Ravi Shankar, Rao Ramesh and Brahmaji. Released on 20 April 2018, it was the highest-grossing Telugu film of the year.
Story
In 2013, Bharath, a curious and brilliant student who has just finished his fifth degree at Oxford, learns that his father, the Chief Minister of the united Andhra Pradesh, has died. He flies home, and is unexpectedly made Chief Minister himself. Appalled by the corruption he finds, he sets out to change the system and keep his promises to the people, and in doing so makes powerful enemies and faces growing controversy.
Cast
- Mahesh Babu as Bharat
- Kiara Advani as the Chief Minister’s girlfriend
- R. Sarathkumar as Bharat’s father
- Prakash Raj as the antagonist
- Devaraj as the leader of the opposition, his first Telugu film in 11 years
- Aamani, Posani Krishna Murali, P. Ravi Shankar, Rao Ramesh and Brahmaji
Production
D. V. V. Danayya announced the film with Mahesh Babu and Koratala Siva, their second collaboration after Srimanthudu, in mid-2016. Ravi K. Chandran and Tirru handled the cinematography, A. Sreekar Prasad edited the film, Ram-Laxman choreographed the stunts, and A. S. Prakash was the production designer. The song “I Don’t Know” was shot in Spain.
Music
Devi Sri Prasad composed the five-song soundtrack. “I Don’t Know” was the first South Indian song sung by Farhan Akhtar, and the album was launched at a pre-release event in Hyderabad on 7 April 2018 with N. T. Rama Rao Jr. as chief guest.
Release and reception
The film opened on 20 April 2018, with a Tamil version following in May and a Hindi dub, Dashing CM Bharath, in November. Firstpost called it an intense political drama that delivered more than it promised, and The Hindu praised its well-thought-out plot and nuanced characters, though The Times of India felt it lacked the finesse of a good political thriller. According to the source it grossed ₹225 crore across all versions.
Sources: Wikipedia and Wikidata.
Trailer from the official YouTube channel of DVV Entertainment, published 7 Apr 2018.
Cast of Bharat Ane Nenu (2018)
- Mahesh Babu as Bharath Ram
- Kiara Advani as Vasumathi
- Prakash Raj as Varadarajulu
- R. Sarathkumar as Bharath's Father
- Aamani as Bharath's Mother
- Sithara as Bharath's Step-Mother
- Posani Krishna Murali as Minister
- Devaraj as Double DK
Additional cast
Further acting credits recorded for this film; voice-only and dubbing credits are excluded.
- Rao Ramesh as Vasumathi’s Father
- Prudhvi Raj
- Benarjee
- Ajay as Aravind Krishna
- Surya
- Brahmaji as Bhasker
- P. Ravi Shankar as MLA Damu
- Rahul Ramakrishna
- Anish Kuruvilla as Chief Secretary
- Jeeva as Education Minister
- Yashpal Sharma
- Jayalalitha as Assembly Speaker
- Devadas Kanakala
- Shatru
Character names as listed on TMDB, checked 10 Oct 2026.
What critics said
Reviews cited in the article were positive about Mahesh Babu's performance and Koratala Siva's political drama, with some reservations about its finesse.
- Firstpost (Hemanth Kumar) called it an intense political drama that delivers more than it promises.
- Hindustan Times (Priyanka Sundar) said it offers the best of commercial cinema, with a strong subject and a tight film.
- The Times of India (Suhas Yellapantula) found a lot to root for, but not the finesse of a good political thriller.
- The Hindu (Sangeetha Devi Dundoo) praised the well-thought-out plot and nuanced characters, and called Kiara Advani impressive.
Box office: the article reports a gross of ₹225 crore over the full run, including other language versions.
Summarised by Tollywood Desk from the reception section of the Wikipedia article Bharat Ane Nenu (revision 1369501872), which cites the reviews named above. Quotation marks show words quoted in that article; no ratings or scores are added here.
Source record: Q38805191 on Wikidata. Dates are those on record and can change; this is not a studio announcement. Spotted an error? Send a correction.