2022 · Film
Karthikeya 2
Chandoo Mondeti's Telugu mythological thriller in which a sceptical doctor is drawn into a hunt for an anklet believed to have belonged to Lord Krishna.
Reviewed by Movie Mandala, Sun, 18 Oct, 2026
Where to watch
IndiaAs of 18 October 2026, Karthikeya 2 is streaming in India on ZEE5 with a subscription.
- Checked Sun, 18 Oct, 2026Open ↗
The story
Dr Karthikeya, a rational young doctor who questions everything, is suspended after a clash at his hospital. To ease his worried mother, who believes the family owes a vow to Lord Krishna, he takes her to Dwarka. There a dying archaeologist tries to tell him something, and soon Karthik is accused of murder while his mother goes missing. Helped by Mugdha, the archaeologist's granddaughter, he follows a trail of ancient clues about an anklet said to have been left by Krishna, while a secretive group hunts for the same prize.
Spoiler-free: only the set-up.
Who it suits
A treasure-hunt thriller rooted in Krishna lore, a good pick for families with teenagers and viewers who like puzzles mixed with mythology. It is rated U/A and runs about two and a half hours, with chases, fights and some menacing villains.
Genres:MythologyThrillerFantasy and sci-fi
Curation to help you choose, not a review.
Background
Karthikeya 2 is the sequel to Chandoo Mondeti's Karthikeya (2014), with Nikhil Siddhartha returning as the title character; the story stands on its own, and Mondeti has spoken of a third film. It was produced by Abhishek Agarwal Arts and People Media Factory on a budget Nikhil put at ₹15 crore.
The film opened on 13 August 2022 in Telugu with a Hindi dub. The Hindi version began with a limited release, but its shows in North India rose from 53 to 1,575 within five days. A Malayalam dub followed on 23 September 2022, and the film began streaming on ZEE5 on 5 October 2022 in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi. ZEE5 reported more than 100 crore viewing minutes in its first 48 hours.
Wikipedia reports a final worldwide gross of ₹121.50 crore. It won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu at the 70th National Film Awards.
The facts
- Language
- Telugu
- Hindi
- Hindi dub available
- Genre
- Mythological adventure, Mystery thriller
- Runtime
- 145 min
- Certificate
- U/A
- Director
- Chandoo Mondeti
- Cast
- Nikhil Siddhartha, Anupama Parameswaran, Anupam Kher, Srinivasa Reddy, Adithya Menon
Questions people ask
- Where can I watch Karthikeya 2 in India?
- As of 18 October 2026, Karthikeya 2 is streaming in India on ZEE5 with a subscription.
- Is Karthikeya 2 available in Hindi?
- Yes. Karthikeya 2 was made in Telugu, and a Hindi-dubbed version is available on ZEE5.
- Is Karthikeya 2 suitable for children?
- Karthikeya 2 has a CBFC U/A certificate, which means children under 12 should watch with a parent or guardian.
- How long is Karthikeya 2?
- Karthikeya 2 runs for 2 hours 25 minutes (145 minutes).