# Zombie Reddy

Zombie Reddy is a 2021 Indian Telugu-language horror crime thriller film directed by Prasanth Varma and starring Teja Sajja, Anandhi, and Daksha Nagarkar. Produced by Apple Trees Studios, the film is marketed as the first zombie film in Telugu cinema. Set in the district of Kurnool, the film is partially based on COVID-19 pandemic. The film was released on 5 February 2021. Following its acquisition by Aha, it premiered on 26 March 2021.

## Plot

Mario is a game designer from Hyderabad who, along with his friends Bhadram and Maggie, develops a successful video game. However, they soon discover a bug that causes the game to crash at higher levels. Mario contacts Kalyan, the programmer, for help, but Kalyan informs them he is getting married and invites them to Rayalseema, promising to fix the code after his wedding.
Kalyan’s father-in-law, Bhooma Reddy, is a chieftain who rules the village of Rudravaram and hides his violent ways and weapons until Kalyan marries his daughter Pushkala. Nandini Reddy, daughter of Bhooma's close aide Bukka Reddy, also arrives for the wedding. As Mario and his friends drive to Rudravaram, they accidentally hit a man who bites Bhadram before being taken away by an old man. Further on, they encounter Veera Reddy, Bhooma's arch-rival, who tries to kill them, but they escape. Mario learns Veera Reddy plans to kill Kalyan after the wedding, but Kalyan dismisses his warnings.
Bhadram's condition worsens as he transforms into a zombie, spreading the virus to others. Bhooma Reddy investigates the virus while Mario's efforts to stop the wedding are thwarted by Nandini. On the wedding night, Veera Reddy's men kidnap Kalyan. Mario and Nandini argue until they witness a zombie attack and lock themselves in a house with Maggie and Kasi Reddy, managing to escape by tricking the zombies.
The group tries to rescue Kalyan from Veera Reddy's house, where it is revealed that Nandini is actually Sailaja Reddy, Veera Reddy's daughter, sent as a spy. They escape with Kalyan, but Veera Reddy and Sailaja follow. Veera Reddy is attacked by zombies, and a grief-stricken Sailaja joins forces with Mario. During the escape, Kasi is trapped, and Maggie is bitten, forcing Mario to flee heartbroken.
Mario remembers the old man from earlier and confronts him, discovering a hidden lab and the original zombie. The old man, a disgraced virologist, reveals he created the zombie virus while developing a COVID-19 vaccine. The old man tries to show Mario the cure's location, but the zombie kills him before Bhooma Reddy rescues the others. Mario learns the cure is near a temple symbol.
On their way to the temple, Sailaja realizes she was scratched by the original zombie, but Mario insists on bringing her. They find Veera Reddy alive at the temple. Initially furious, Bhooma Reddy and Veera Reddy join forces to hold off the zombies. As Sailaja begins to turn, Mario discovers the cure in water from a Shiva Lingam. He lures the zombies into the water, curing them.
Mario is hailed as a hero for stopping the virus, and both families, along with a cured Maggie and Bhadram, joyfully reunite.

## Cast

* Teja Sajja as Marripalem Obul Reddy a.k.a. Mario
* Anandhi as Sailaja Reddy/Nandini Reddy(fake)
* Daksha Nagarkar as Maggie
* Kireeti Damaraju as Bhadram
* RJ Hemanth as Kalyan
* Getup Srinu as Kasi Reddy
* Lahari Shari as Pushkala Reddy, Kalyan's fiancée turned wife
* Vinay Varma as Bhooma Reddy, Pushkala's father
* Naga Mahesh as Veera Reddy, Sailaja's father
* Hari Teja as Talambari, Veera Reddy's sister
* Prudhvi Raj as Aagam Reddy, Veera Reddy's henchman
* Harsha Vardhan as Pratap Reddy, Mario's father
* Mamilla Shailaja Priya as Mario's mother
* Annapoorna as Pushkala's grandmother
* Vitta Mahesh as Masi Reddy
* Raghu Karumanchi as Veera Reddy's henchman
* Charandeep as Bhooma Reddy's henchman
* Raghu Babu as young Aagam Reddy(Cameo)
* Tripuraneni Chitti as Mad Scientist
* Keshav Deepak as Doctor
* Vijay Ranga Raju as Konda Reddy, Sailaja's grandfather
* Rupa Lakshmi as Bhooma Reddy's wife
* Sreeleela as Preethi, Mario's younger sister

## Production

The film was officially announced on 8 August 2020 by releasing a motion poster of the film. The film is Prasanth's third film after Awe and Kalki. The music is composed by Mark K. Robin who is known for his work in the 2019 film Agent Sai Srinivasa Athreya. The film is Sajja Teja's debut as a lead actor.

## Soundtrack

All music is composed by Mark K. Robin
IndiaGlitz called the single "GO Corona" "2020 in a nutshell. The rap draws material from some of the most popular memes of the year when the pandemic played havoc. The very title of the song is drawn from a notoriously funny slogan that a political leader gave. And there is a smattering of meme-worthy stuff like 'Aipayee', which was triggered by a spiritual sermon. Modi's call for lighting diyas and clapping for COVID warriors also gets a comical interpretation. The rap is enjoyable, while the singers immerse do their job well. Sri Krishna, Anudeep Dev, PVNS Rohit, and Hymath are the chorus singers. The female ones are Harika Narayan, Sahithi Chagunti, and Sony Komanduri."

## Release

The film was released on 5 February 2021. It collected a gross of ₹2.26 crore (equivalent to ₹2.5 crore or US$290,000 in 2023) on its first day of release.

## Home media

The digital rights of the film were acquired by Aha, while the satellite rights were purchased by Star Maa. It was premiered on 28 March 2021, and registered an average TRP rating of 9.72.

## Reception
### Critical response

Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of The Hindu wrote that "In one stroke, director Prasanth Varma juxtaposes different worlds — a pandemic looming large, zombies, Rayalaseema faction rivalry — to hilarious effect. Zombie Reddy is a satirical potpourri replete with pop culture references at every turn."
Neeshita Nyayapati of The Times of India stated "Zombie Reddy does have its moments, and all the cast, including Teja, Anandhi and Daksha, seem to have fun with what they're offered. This is not a bad film by any means, if only Prasanth had not gone down the predictable route, it would've been something more." Hemanth Kumar from Firstpost gave 3 out of 5 stars and stated "Zombie Reddy is the first zombie film in Telugu cinema and to its credit, it does a fairly good job in simplifying the storytelling to the bare essentials." A review from The Hans India rated the film 3 stars of 5 and wrote: "Zombie Reddy makes a decent attempt to entertain the audiences."

## Box office

The film collected a gross of ₹2.26 crore (equivalent to ₹2.5 crore or US$290,000 in 2023) on its first day of release.