Ardha Shathabdam

Ardha Shathabdam is a 2021 Indian Telugu-language Social Drama film written and directed by debutant Rawindra Pulle. Produced by Chitti Kiran Ramoju & Radhakrishna Telu the film stars Karthik Rathnam, Naveen Chandra, Krishna Priya and Suhas in prominent roles. The film premiered on 11 June 2021 on Aha. The film is set in 2003 and based on the caste system in India.

Plot
A man love for his childhood crush disrupts peace and ensues chaos in his village.

Production
Principal photography of the film began in 2019. Most of the scenes were shot in Nirmal, Telangana.

Music
Lyrical version of "Arey Meriseyle Meriseyle" sung by Shankar Mahadevan was released on 5 June 2021. "Errani Sooreede" song was released on 12 March 2021.

Release
The film was earlier scheduled for a theatrical release. But, it was then decided to release on Aha on 26 March 2021. Due to some production issues, it was again rescheduled, and a new release date was announced as 11 June 2021.

Reception
Sravan Vanaparthy of The Times of India, rated the film 2.5/5 and opined that the film could not reach its potential due to lackluster screenplay. On performances, Vanaparthy stated: "While both the leads Karthik and Priya deliver a great performance, it does not make up for the weak storyline. Naveen Chandra’s character as a trigger-happy police officer leaves him with little scope to perform," while praising the production values. Cinema Express critic Ram Venkat Srikar who gave the film 1.5 stars out of 5 felt that though the film was well-intentioned, it misfired due to poor execution.

A reviewer from Eenadu wrote, "While the storyline chosen by the director is laudable, they faltered in showing it strongly [sic]." Anji Shetty of Sakshi who granted the film 2.5 stars out of 5 and echoed the same. Shetty appreciated the performances of the leads and music while pointing out screenplay as its weak point.

A critic of LetsOTT gave a rating of 3 out of 5 and appreciated the performances done by various actors and the direction.