Streaming · Telugu film · 2026
Cheekatilo
చీకటిలో (2026)
Cheekatilo release date: 23 January 2026 (theatres). Directed by Sharan Koppisetty; starring Sobhita Dhulipala and Vishwadev Rachakonda.
- Film release
- 23 January 2026 · All 2026 films
- Director
- Sharan Koppisetty
- Music
- Sricharan Pakala
- Production
- Suresh Productions
- Runtime
- 126 min
- Language
- Telugu
OTT release
Streaming now on Prime Video; no start date is on file (the platform does not publish one).
Film release: 23 January 2026 · all January 2026 Telugu releases.
Tracker check recorded: 11 November 2026, 16:05 IST. This timestamp alone does not establish a fresh, direct platform check; see the source below.
Source: TMDB watch providers, India (data from JustWatch), checked 3 October 2026. Only what the source states is shown. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB; watch-provider data by JustWatch.
Platform information and historical dates do not guarantee current access in every country. Availability, audio languages and subscription terms vary by location; check the platform before subscribing.
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Cheekatilo (చీకటిలో, “In the Darkness”) is a 2026 Telugu crime thriller directed by Sharan Koppisetty and written by Chandra Pemmaraju, starring Sobhita Dhulipala as a journalist who turns true-crime podcaster. Produced by D. Suresh Babu for Suresh Productions, it skipped theatres and premiered directly on Amazon Prime Video on 23 January 2026. It runs 126 minutes.
What the story is about
Sandhya is a TV journalist who quits her channel after one of her reports is twisted for ratings, and starts a true-crime podcast so she can investigate cases her own way. Soon after her family visits her fiancé Amar’s home for their engagement, her close friend is found murdered. Sandhya uses the podcast to chase the killer, working with CI Rajeev, and the trail leads her back to a string of similar crimes against women from some twenty years earlier in the Godavari and Trichy districts.
Cast and characters
- Sobhita Dhulipala as Sandhya Nelluri
- Vishwadev Rachakonda as Amar Ojeti
- Chaitanya Krishna as CI Rajeev
- Isha Chawla as Ananditha, a senior officer
- Ravindra Vijay as Chinna Babu, a politician
- Aamani as Padma Ojeti, Amar’s mother, and Vadlamani Srinivas as his father
- Posani Krishna Murali, Ravi Varma, Harsha Chemudu and Sri Lakshmi
- Aditi Myakal as Bobby, Sandhya’s friend
Crew and music
- Director: Sharan Koppisetty; writer: Chandra Pemmaraju
- Producer: D. Suresh Babu (Suresh Productions)
- Music and background score: Sricharan Pakala
Reception
Sanjana Pulugurtha of The Times of India gave it 3 out of 5 and called it a “well-staged thriller despite flaws” in the writing. Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of The Hindu found it “an engaging, thoughtful drama that finds its strength in empathy rather than spectacle”, though it could have used sharper writing. Neeshita Nyayapati of Hindustan Times rated it 2.5 out of 5 and felt the subject needed more “sensitivity and nuance”. As a direct-to-streaming release, it has no box-office figures.
Where to watch Cheekatilo
Cheekatilo streams on Amazon Prime Video, where it premiered on 23 January 2026.
More Telugu films like this on Tollywood Desk: Missing Meghana, Mareechika, Mrithyunjay.
Sources: the Wikipedia article on Cheekatilo and the reviews it cites; our own cast, crew, release and OTT records.
Cast of Cheekatilo (2026)
Additional cast
Further acting credits recorded for this film; voice-only and dubbing credits are excluded.
- Viva Harsha
- Posani Krishna Murali
- Chaitanya Krishna
- Ravi Varma
- Aamani
- Isha Chawla
- Suresh as DIG Rajamani
- Sri Lakshmi
- Ravindra Vijay
Also in the cast (TMDB): Aditi Myakal as Bobby.
Character names as listed on TMDB, checked 10 Oct 2026.
Source record: Q137924170 on Wikidata. Dates are those on record and can change; this is not a studio announcement. Spotted an error? Send a correction.