Released · Telugu film · 2018
Taxiwala
టాక్సీవాలా
Taxiwala release date: 17 November 2018 (theatres). Directed by Rahul Sankrityan; starring Vijay Deverakonda, Madhunandan and Ravi Prakash.
- Film release
- 17 November 2018 · All 2018 films
- Director
- Rahul Sankrityan
- Music
- Jakes Bejoy
- Production
- GA2 Pictures, UV Creations
- Runtime
- 137 min
- Language
- Telugu
OTT release
No streaming platform is on file for this film.
Film release: 17 November 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.
Taxiwala (spelt Taxiwaala; meaning “Taxi driver”) is a 2018 Telugu-language supernatural comedy thriller directed by Rahul Sankrityan and produced by UV Creations and GA2 Pictures. It stars Vijay Deverakonda, Priyanka Jawalkar and Malavika Nair. Despite leaking online ten days before release, it opened on 17 November 2018 to positive reviews and became a box office success.
Story
Shiva comes to Hyderabad looking for work and, after drifting between jobs, decides to become a taxi driver, buying an old car with money his sister-in-law gives him. The car soon brings him luck, but strange things start to happen around it, and Shiva realises it may be home to something supernatural. The film mixes comedy and horror as he tries to uncover the car’s secret.
Cast
- Vijay Deverakonda in the lead
- Priyanka Jawalkar
- Malavika Nair
The car at the centre of the film was a modified Hindustan Contessa.
Music and crew
Jakes Bejoy composed the soundtrack in his Telugu debut; “Maate Vinadhuga” was the first song released. Sujith Sarang was the cinematographer and Sreejith Sarang the editor.
Release
A pirated copy appeared on piracy websites ten days before the release, but the film opened as scheduled on 17 November 2018, along with dubbed versions in Tamil, Sadugudu Vandi, and Hindi, Super Taxi.
Reception
Critics credited much of the film’s appeal to Vijay Deverakonda. The Times of India praised his performance but felt the second half and climax were weak; Idlebrain said the film proved decent content could beat piracy; The Indian Express called it a decent potboiler leaning on his stardom; and The Hindu described it as a quirky mix of comedy and the paranormal.
Sources: Wikipedia and Wikidata.
Trailer from the official YouTube channel of Geetha Arts , published 11 Nov 2018.
Cast of Taxiwala (2018)
- Vijay Deverakonda as Shiva
- Madhunandan as Babai
- Ravi Prakash as Shiva's Brother
- Malavika Nair as Sisira Bharadwaj
- Shiju as Sisira's Step-Father
- Uttej as Doctor
- Ravi Varma as Sisira's Professor
- Priyanka Jawalkar as Anu (Anusha)
- Yamuna as Sisira's Mother
Additional cast
Further acting credits recorded for this film; voice-only and dubbing credits are excluded.
- Kireeti Damaraju
- Satya Krishnan as Doctor
- Kaveri as Shiva's Sister-in-Law
- Chitram Srinu
Also in the cast (TMDB): Chammak Chandra as Fake Fakir, Vishnu Oi as Hollywood.
Character names as listed on TMDB, checked 10 Oct 2026.
What critics said
Reviews cited in the article credited Vijay Deverakonda's performance and the concept, but found the second half and climax weaker.
- The Times of India (Suhas Yellapantula) felt it works in parts thanks to Deverakonda, but a weak climax and patchy narration derail it.
- Idlebrain.com praised the concept, execution and lead performance, though the second half slows down.
- The Indian Express (Manoj Kumar R) called it a decent potboiler that leans on its star's charm despite gaps in the story.
- The Hindu (Sangeetha Devi Dundoo) described “a cocktail of comedy and the paranormal with a hint of quirk”.
Summarised by Tollywood Desk from the reception section of the Wikipedia article Taxiwaala (revision 1376252467), which cites the reviews named above. Quotation marks show words quoted in that article; no ratings or scores are added here.
Source record: Q55642221 on Wikidata. Dates are those on record and can change; this is not a studio announcement. Spotted an error? Send a correction.