Mario (2025): Can Anger, Romance And Violence Really Heal A Broken Heart?
Mario is a 2025 Telugu romantic thriller directed by Kalyanji Gogana, built around a love story that slowly drifts into obsession and danger. The film stars Anirudh Sreevatsav and Hebah Patel in the lead, with Rakendu Mouli and others rounding out the main cast.
From the trailer and early talk, Mario clearly wants to be a stylish, youth-focused thriller rather than a routine love story. The tone mixes campus vibes, moody visuals and an undercurrent of psychological tension as the lead’s feelings spin out of control.
Story, genre and mood
Mario begins like a regular romance, with a young man falling hard for a woman and doing everything he can to impress her. The early portions lean on light moments, bonding and emotional conversations to sell their relationship.
As the plot moves ahead, the same love slowly turns into fixation, pushing the protagonist into morally grey choices. The film aims to track how “perfect love” can slide into unhealthy obsession, giving it a thriller edge instead of just drama.
Lead performances
Anirudh Sreevatsav gets a role that lets him play both the charming lover and the unstable, vulnerable man underneath. The character needs a lot of shifting emotions – guilt, possessiveness, desperation – and that complexity is what keeps the story alive.
Hebah Patel plays the woman at the center of this emotional storm, carrying both the romantic warmth and the fear of someone realising things have gone too far. Her chemistry with Anirudh is important, because if their connection doesn’t feel believable, the later breakdown won’t land.
Direction, writing and technicals
Kalyanji Gogana has done emotional stories before, and here he seems focused on pacing the slide from romance to thriller without sudden jumps. The writing tries to keep the audience guessing about how far Mario will go, and whether he can pull himself back from the edge.
Visually, the film leans on a darker, more stylish look in the later portions, with night scenes, neon shades and tighter framing to show the character’s mindset. The background score pushes the tension, while songs are used more to build mood than to purely serve as commercial breaks.
What works
The biggest strength is the core idea: taking a familiar boy-meets-girl setup and tracing how love can turn into something toxic. When the film focuses on that emotional journey instead of external gimmicks, it hits a relatable nerve.
The chemistry between the leads and the way small moments grow into bigger conflicts help the midsection of the film stay engaging. The thriller beats in the later half, if timed right, can give viewers that “what will he do next?” curiosity that makes these stories addictive.
What falls short
Where Mario risks stumbling is in repetition and melodrama. If the script keeps circling the same arguments or over-explains Mario’s mental state, the tension can quickly turn into fatigue.
The thriller angle also needs smart writing; convenient twists, forced villains or half-baked side plots could undercut the realistic, psychological tone the film is aiming for. Some viewers may also feel the messaging on love and obsession could have been sharper and more grounded.
Audience buzz and appeal
Early reactions suggest that Mario is attracting younger audiences who enjoy darker relationship stories and TikTok/Instagram-style visual energy. The songs and posters push a modern, urban image that fits that crowd well.
For family audiences, the darker turn in the second half and the intensity of the relationship might be a mixed bag. This feels more like a film targeted at city multiplex viewers and college crowds than a broad, festival-family watch.
Overall verdict
Mario (2025) is a modestly scaled Telugu romantic thriller that tries to say something about where love ends and obsession begins. It doesn’t completely reinvent the genre, but when it sticks to its central emotional conflict and keeps the pacing tight, it offers a watchable, engaging ride.
Rating: 3.5/5
