Ustaad (2023 film)

Ustaad is a 2023 Indian Telugu-language coming-of-age drama film directed by Phanideep and starring Sri Simha Koduri and Kavya Kalyanram. The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics.

Cast

 * Sri Simha Koduri as Surya Sivakumar
 * Kavya Kalyanram as Meghana
 * Gautham Vasudev Menon as Joseph D'Souza
 * Anu Hasan as Gayathri
 * Ravindra Vijay as an alcoholic mechanic
 * Venkatesh Maha as Sivakumar, Surya's father (Cameo Appearance)
 * Ravi Siva Teja as Surya's friend

The lead characters' names are based on Surya S/o Krishnan (2008) and that film's director Gautham Vasudev Menon features in this film as an actor.

Production
Sri Simha Koduri is back after Bhaag Saale. This is Kavya Kalyanram's 3rd film after her comeback with Masooda.

Soundtrack
The music was composed by Akeeva B.

Reception
The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics.

A critic from 123telugu wrote that "On the whole, Ustaad is a coming-of-age drama that suffers mainly due to narrative issues. There are a few decent moments here and there, but the overall execution is below-par". A critic from The Hindu wrote that "The drama loses steam after a point and the writing resorts to cinematic overtures and convenient coincidences in the final segment. Had this portion been conceived better, it would have been a befitting end to the coming-of-age story". A critic from OTTplay wrote that "Ustaad is a coming-of-age story depicting the transition of a directionless teenager to a pilot where a bike is a metaphor to portray his journey. The film struggles to keep you invested in the protagonist’s journey despite the impressive performances, visual detailing and technical finesse". A critic from Telugucinema.com wrote that "Ustaad is a coming-of-age story with a few pleasant moments but a monotonous viewing experience on the whole. The amateurishness with which the narration is handled can be seen throughout".