Gangs of Godavari

Gangs of Godavari is a 2024 Telugu action crime drama written and directed by Krishna Chaitanya, starring Vishwak Sen, Anjali and Neha Shetty. Produced by Naga Vamsi and Sai Soujanya under Sithara Entertainments and Fortune Four Cinemas, with music by Yuvan Shankar Raja, it released in theatres on 31 May 2024 after two postponements. Our record lists a running time of 146 minutes.

What the story is about

Lankala Rathnakar, known as Rathna, is an underdog from a village in the coastal Godavari region who claws his way to prominence through violence and crime. Bent on avenging his father’s death and becoming the most powerful man in the area, he is drawn into one gang war after another, and his rise brings escalating violence and consequences for him and everyone around him.

Cast

• Vishwak Sen as Lankala Rathnakar, alias “Tiger” Rathna
• Anjali as Rathnamala
• Neha Shetty as Bujji, Rathna’s love interest
• Sai Kumar as Geddha Raju, Rathna’s father
• Nassar as Nanaji, Bujji’s father
• Hyper Aadi as Murthy, Rathna’s assistant
• Goparaju Ramana as Doraswamy Raju
• Vinoth Kishan as Viswam “Chinna Dora”, Doraswamy’s son
• Praveen as Doraswamy’s assistant
• Madhunandan as Rathna’s friend and henchman
• Ayesha Khan in a special appearance in the song “Motha”

Making and music

The film was launched with a puja in Hyderabad on 26 April 2023. The first schedule began on 28 May 2023, the day the first look was unveiled to mark N. T. Rama Rao’s 100th birth anniversary; the second schedule wrapped on 8 July in the countryside near Rajahmundry, and shooting finished on 16 September 2023. Release dates of 8 December 2023 and 8 March 2024 were both dropped because of production issues.

Yuvan Shankar Raja’s soundtrack, released by Aditya Music, came out in singles: “Suttamla Soosi” (16 August 2023), “Motha” (25 March 2024), “Bad” (10 May 2024) and “Giri Giri” (29 May 2024).

Reviews and box office

Critics praised the performances but not the writing. Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of The Hindu was mixed, faulting the script while praising Vishwak Sen and Anjali. The Times of India said it “begins on a promising note, with Vishwak Sen delivering a nuanced performance”, but “fails to leave a lasting impression” as it goes on. BH Harsh of The New Indian Express gave it 2 out of 5 and called it “flawed on a foundational level”.

Despite the reviews, Telugu trade site T2BLive put its total worldwide collection at ₹20 crore. Wikipedia calls it a commercial success, but that verdict is not tied to a source, so we report only the figure.

Where to watch Gangs of Godavari

Netflix acquired the digital rights, and the film began streaming on 14 June 2024, two weeks after its theatrical release. Our OTT record is based on the film’s Wikipedia article rather than a platform listing, so check Netflix for current availability.

Sources: the Wikipedia article on Gangs of Godavari and the review and report it cites, linked above; our own cast and crew records.