Ugly Story (2026) Review – Rating, Verdict & Box Office | Tollybo
Last updated: 9 Sept 2026
Ugly Story (2026) Review
Directed by L. Pranava Swaroop, Ugly Story (2026) is a Telugu drama, thriller film starring Nandu Vijay Krishna, Avika Gor, Ravi Teja Mahadasyam. Our Rating: 2.25/5. Verdict: DISASTER. Released: 22 May 2026.


Ugly Story(2026)
Telugu · Drama, Thriller
0 · 22 May 2026
Music: Shravan Bharadwaj | DOP: Shrie Saikumar Daara | Writer: L. Pranava Swaroop
Ratings
Our Rating
2.25
📖 Story
Neha is an orphan raised by her uncle Narayana Rao. She deeply loves Gautam, but Narayana Rao's son Karthik is plagued by severe psychological issues and harbors an obsessive, psychotic infatuation for Neha. Due to certain circumstances, Neha sacrifices her true love and marries Karthik. The story traces the intense physical and mental torment Neha undergoes in this toxic relationship, how she gathers the courage to confront it, and how this dark, psychological drama reaches its conclusion.
Ugly Story explores the darker side of domestic relationships, touching upon complex topics like consent and toxic marital ties. The core concept is bold and attempts to shed light on deep psychological issues that many women struggle to express openly. However, the film struggles significantly with its screenplay and narrative execution. While the core idea is strong, the storytelling remains flat and overly predictable, lacking the necessary suspense and gripping momentum typical of a psychological thriller.
The first half establishes the main conflict early on but fails to move the plot forward constructively. Instead, it continuously repeats scenes of marital abuse and harassment, making the narrative feel highly redundant and slow-paced. The second half slightly raises the stakes with a more focused narrative approach, leading into emotional sequences, a gripping pre-climax, and a heavy climax. Despite these later improvements, the overall pacing remains heavily dragged, and the drama frequently feels forced or over-the-top.
Musically, Shravan Bharadwaj delivers a commendable effort. The background score effectively captures the dark, psychological nature of the script and elevates the tension during crucial emotional scenes. On the downside, the songs do not stand out significantly due to the dark theme of the narrative. Visually, Shrie Saikumar Daara's cinematography is an asset, utilising appropriate camera angles and a dark, moody tone that blends naturally with the psychological theme of the movie.
Nandu Vijay Krishna: Delivered his career-best performance. He virtually lived the role of an obsessive, psychotic husband, expressing raw cruelty and intensity perfectly through his body language, dialogue delivery, and eyes.
Avika Gor: Gave a compelling performance as the helpless wife, effectively conveying deep fear, grief, and emotional trauma through her expressive eyes.
Ravi Teja Mahadasyam: Played the role of the lover appropriately, fitting neatly within the parameters of his character design.
Shivaji Raja: Performed reliably well, bringing depth to his character as a typical father figure.
Pragya Nayan Sinha: Appeared in a brief role as an inspector, delivering what was required for the limited screen time.
💪 Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- ✓Terrific performance by Nandu as the psychological antagonist
- ✓Strong, emotional performance by Avika Gor portraying fear and helplessness
- ✓Bold and relevant core theme regarding consent and toxic relationships
- ✓Atmospheric background score and fittingly dark cinematography
- ✓Griping pre-climax and climax sequences
Weaknesses
- ✕Highly repetitive scenes of harassment and torment in the first half
- ✕Slow and sluggish pacing throughout the narrative
- ✕Predictable plot development and lack of standard thriller suspense
- ✕Weak justification for the protagonist's long delay in reacting to the abuse
- ✕Over-the-top dramatic elements in key scenes that could make viewers uncomfortable
🎬 Direction & Writing
Director L. Pranava Swaroop chose a bold and realistic theme addressing the grim realities of marital abuse and psychopathy. However, his implementation falls short as he struggles to translate the premise into an engaging, multi-dimensional screenplay. By choosing a narrow, uni-dimensional focus from the psychopath's perspective, the narrative alienates general audiences. While he handled the climax and emotional high points effectively, his lack of narrative progression in the initial stages compromises the engagement value.
- - Dark-themed, moody cinematography that accurately frames the thriller atmosphere
- - Intense and fitting background score that enhances crucial emotional scenes
- - Production values are adequate for a concept-driven drama
- - Editing could have been crisper to cut out repetitive sequences and pacing lag
📰 Ratings Sources
| Source | Rating |
|---|---|
| 2.50 / 5 | |
| 2.25 / 5 |
Our Rating
💰 Box Office Collection
No collection data available yet.
🏛️ Centers & 🏅 Awards
No centers data available.
No awards data available.
😊 Sentiment Breakdown & 🧠 Critics
| Type | Value |
|---|---|
| Positive | Performance of lead actors, background music, bold core theme, climax execution. |
| Neutral | Production values, cinematography, secondary cast performances. |
| Negative | Repetitive scenes, sluggish pacing, over-the-top drama, extreme violence, predictable execution. |
Critics
Critics largely appreciated the bold subject matter and commended the lead actors, specifically Nandu and Avika Gor, for delivering intense, powerful performances. However, they heavily criticized the flat screenplay, repetitive scenes of torture, excessive violence, and slow narrative pace. The consensus indicates that while the film handles a valid societal issue, it turns out to be a bitter pill that fails to engage mainstream or commercial movie lovers, limiting its appeal to a niche audience that prefers dark psychological dramas.
Final Box-Office Result
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
When did Ugly Story release in theatres?▾
Ugly Story released on 22 May 2026 (2026).
Is Ugly Story a hit or flop?▾
Ugly Story is declared a DISASTER at the box office.
What is the budget of Ugly Story?▾
Budget of Ugly Story is approximately ₹3.99 Crore.
Where to watch Ugly Story online? OTT release date?▾
Ugly Story is available on Prime Video, aha from 4 June 2026.
Who directed Ugly Story?▾
Ugly Story directed by L. Pranava Swaroop. Produced by Bekkem Venugopal.
Who are the main cast members of Ugly Story?▾
Ugly Story stars Nandu Vijay Krishna, Avika Gor, Ravi Teja Mahadasyam, Pragya Nayan Sinha, Shivaji Raja.
What is the Tollybo rating for Ugly Story?▾
Tollybo rates Ugly Story 2.25/5. Verdict: DISASTER.
Who composed the music for Ugly Story?▾
Music for Ugly Story composed by Shravan Bharadwaj.
What is the genre and runtime of Ugly Story?▾
Ugly Story — Genre: Drama, Thriller, Language: Telugu.
