Seetha Payanam
| Seetha Payanam | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Arjun |
| Screenplay by | Arjun |
| Dialogues by | Sai Madhav Burra |
| Story by | Arjun |
| Produced by | Arjun |
| Starring | Niranjan Sudhindra Aishwarya Arjun |
| Cinematography | G. Balamurugan |
| Edited by | Ayoob Khan |
| Music by | Anup Rubens |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Asian Cinemas Sree Raam Films International |
Release date |
|
Running time | 152 minutes[1] |
| Country | India |
| Language | Telugu |
Seetha Payanam (transl. Seetha's Journey) is a 2026 Indian Telugu-language road romantic drama film written, directed and produced by Arjun under the banner of Sree Raam Films International. The films stars Niranjan Sudhindra and Aishwarya Arjun (in their Telugu debut), with Arjun and Dhruva Sarja making special appearances in the film. The film was also dubbed in Kannada, Tamil, and Malayalam withe the former being titled Seetha Payana and the latter two having the same title, respectively.
Seetha Payanam was theatrically released on 14 February 2026, coinciding with Valentine's Day and received mixed reviews from critics.
Plot
Seetha loses her mother in childhood, and her father, Rajendra Prasad, raises her with immense love, becoming both mother and father. They share a close bond, but Seetha always avoids the topic of marriage. She travels from Vizag to Hyderabad for work, where she meets Abhi. During the journey, a few unexpected incidents change her life. What exactly happened on the trip? What roles do Giri and Pawan play? And finally, does Seetha get married or not? The answers unfold on screen.
Cast
- Niranjan Sudhindra as Abhi
- Aishwarya Arjun as Seetha
- Prakash Raj as Anjaneyulu, Abhi's grandfather
- Sathyaraj as Rajendra Prasad, Seetha's father
- Kovai Sarala
- Bithiri Sathi
- Saran Shakthi
- Siri Hanumanth
- Mani Chandana
- Sumithra as Anjaneyulu's wife and Abhi's grandmother
- Sahasra
- Dubbing Janaki
- Raj Kumar
- Naga Mahesh
- Posani Krishna Murali
- Jabardasth Phani
- Narra Srinivas
- Fish Venkat
- Mallesh Yadav
- Prathibha Prathap
- Rafi
- Arjun as Giri (special appearance)
- Dhruva Sarja as Pawan (special appearance)[2]
Production
Reports that Arjun directing Vishwak Sen in the Telugu debut film of Aishwarya Arjun came in May 2022.[3] After a fallout, both Arjun and Viswak Sen decided to part ways.[4]
The film's title was officially announced in October 2024 with Niranjan Sudhindra replacing Vishwak Sen, marking his Telugu debut.[5][6][7][8]
Music
The soundtrack and background score are composed by Anup Rubens. The audio rights were acquired by Saregama.[9]
Reception
Divya Shree of The Times of India rated it 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "While it impresses with performances, visuals, and intent, it falls short of becoming a truly memorable cinematic experience".[10] Suresh Kavirayani of Cinema Express rated the film 1.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Seetha Payanam turns out to be a tedious journey rather than an emotional one".[11]
References
- ^ "Seetha Payanam". Central Board of Film Certification. 6 February 2026.
- ^ "Dhruva Sarja to play Pawan in Seetha Payanam; makers unveil character poster". Cinema Express. 6 October 2025. Archived from the original on 14 February 2026. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
- ^ "Arjun Sarja to direct Vishwak Sen". Cinema Express. 18 May 2022.
- ^ "Vishwak Sen breaks his silence on turning down the collaboration with Arjun Sarja: 'One bad day is better than a bad film'". The Times of India. 21 February 2024. Archived from the original on 6 March 2024. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ^ "Arjun Sarja's next directorial titled 'Seetha Payanam'". The Times of India. 17 October 2024.
- ^ "Arjun Sarja to star in his directorial 'Seetha Payana'; first look out". The Hindu. 7 November 2024. Archived from the original on 22 December 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
- ^ "Arjun Sarja: I have no issues with Vishwak Sen; we may work together again". Cinema Express. 12 February 2026.
- ^ Sharadhaa, A. (9 February 2026). "Niranjan Sudhindra: I am ready to face a new audience across languages". Cinema Express.
- ^ Sree Raam Film International [@SreeRaamFilms] (28 May 2025). "The audio rights of #SeethaPayanam have been officially bagged by the prestigious @saregamasouth 🎼Get ready to experience the magic of love with the #SeethaPayanamTeaser Today at 4.32 PM ❤️🔥" (Tweet). Retrieved 18 February 2026 – via X (formerly Twitter).
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ Shree, Divya (15 February 2026). "Seetha Payanam Movie Review: A scenic road movie weighed down by too many detours". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ^ Kavirayani, Suresh (14 February 2026). "Seetha Payanam Movie Review: Seetha's journey turns tedious with a routine narrative". Cinema Express. Retrieved 17 February 2026.