Godfather

Godfather (stylised GodFather) is a 2022 Telugu political action thriller directed by Mohan Raja and produced by R. B. Choudary and N. V. Prasad under Konidela Production Company and Super Good Films. Chiranjeevi plays the title role, with Nayanthara and Satyadev, and Salman Khan in a cameo that marked his Telugu debut. It is a remake of the 2019 Malayalam film Lucifer. Thaman S composed the music. It was released in cinemas on 5 October 2022, at Dussehra, to mixed reviews, and has streamed on Netflix since 19 November 2022.

What the story is about

When Andhra Pradesh’s Chief Minister, P. K. Ramdas Reddy (PKR), dies, his ruling party and the state’s huge political funds are suddenly up for grabs. Four people are seen as possible successors: his daughter Sathyapriya; her husband Jaidev, who has his own dangerous plans for the party’s money; the senior leader Narayana Varma; and Brahma Teja, PKR’s estranged, secret first child, whom a YouTube whistle-blower calls the “most dangerous” of them all. The film follows the succession fight as Jaidev moves to seize power and Brahma stands in his way. Who Brahma really is forms the film’s central reveal, so we stop here.

Cast

• Chiranjeevi as Brahma Teja
• Nayanthara as Sathyapriya, PKR’s daughter
• Satyadev as Jaidev Das, the main antagonist
• Murali Sharma as Narayana Varma and Samuthirakani as ACP Indrajeet
• Puri Jagannadh as the YouTuber Govardhan; Sunil, Brahmaji and Gangavva in supporting roles
• Salman Khan in a cameo as Masood Bhai, and Prabhu Deva in the song “Thaar Maar Thakkar Maar”

How it was made

The Telugu remake of Lucifer was announced in April 2020 with Chiranjeevi. Sujeeth was first attached to direct but left in September 2020 over creative differences, and in December 2020 Mohan Raja was confirmed, returning to Telugu films after Hanuman Junction (2001). The title Godfather was revealed in August 2021, and it was Chiranjeevi’s first film with composer Thaman. Nirav Shah was the cinematographer. Shooting began on 13 August 2021 in Hyderabad and moved to Ooty; it paused when Chiranjeevi had surgery on his right hand, and again when he tested positive for COVID-19 in January 2022. Salman Khan shot his portions in a week at ND Studios in Karjat in March 2022, plus a song with Chiranjeevi choreographed by Prabhu Deva.

Music

Thaman S composed the songs and score; Saregama holds the music rights. The first single, “Thaar Maar Thakkar Maar”, was released on 15 September 2022.

Release and box office

Godfather opened on 5 October 2022 in Telugu and in a Hindi-dubbed version, with a Tamil dub following on 14 October; it clashed at the box office with Nagarjuna’s The Ghost. Konidela Production Company and PVR Pictures distributed it in India. Bollywood Hungama reported that Netflix bought the streaming rights for ₹57 crore. Wikipedia’s box-office figures rest on a reference whose title has been altered, so we do not repeat them; treat collection claims for this film with caution.

What critics said

Reviews were mixed. Murali Krishna CH of The New Indian Express (3.5 out of 5) said to watch it “definitely for the Megastar”, and The Times of India (3.5 out of 5) found it a worthy remake. India Today (3 out of 5) called it “massier and more action-packed than the Malayalam version”, and Pinkvilla (3 out of 5) praised Satyadev. On the other side, The News Minute (2.5 out of 5) felt Mohan Raja was torn between a solid political thriller and pandering to the star’s fanbase, and Firstpost (2.5 out of 5) wrote that “the magic touch seems to be missing”.

Where to watch Godfather

Godfather began streaming on Netflix on 19 November 2022, according to the date recorded on Wikipedia, and Gemini TV holds the satellite rights. Availability and audio languages vary by country, so check Netflix before subscribing. The OTT box on this page has the details we hold.

Sources: the Wikipedia article on Godfather (2022) and the reviews and reports it cites, linked above; Wikidata; our own cast, crew and OTT records.