3 minutes of readingHyderabadFebruary 8, 2026 12:23 pm IST
When KV Anudeep’s Jathi Ratnalu became an unexpected comedy phenomenon, it wasn’t just another film that hit the box office. It was proof that audiences were hungry for genuine laughs, the kind that aren’t based on formulations or recycled jokes, but rather arise from wonderfully absurd situations and characters so outlandish they could only exist in Anudeep’s imagination.
Now, three years later, the director has returned. And if Funky’s trailer is any indication, he hasn’t lost his touch for organized madness.
At the center of this whirlwind of comedy is vishwak senan actor known more for his intensity than his impeccable comedic timing. In front of him, Kayadu Lohar brings natural energy. Their chemistry, evident even in the trailer, suggests that the film might have stumbled upon a leading couple you really want to root for.
The trailer moves at breakneck speed, traversing situations that range from the ridiculous to the completely inexplicable. This is KV Anudeep’s signature, throwing characters into scenarios that shouldn’t work on paper and then somehow making them sing on screen. His comedy doesn’t grow slowly; It explodes in your face and continues to detonate.
The looming question, of course, is whether success can be repeated. Jathi Ratnalu worked partly because no one saw it coming. The public entered without expectations and left with stories to tell. Funky arrives loaded with anticipation.
Funky, which will premiere on February 13, just as the Valentine’s weekend begins, is positioned as the alternative to conventional romantic fare. While other films woo couples with candles and melodrama, KV Anudeep offers laughter and madness. It’s a smart bet, romance doesn’t have to mean roses and tears. Sometimes it means sitting next to someone and laughing until your face hurts.
As the release date approaches, the trailer has done its job: reminding everyone why they fell in love with Anudeep’s sensibility in the first place, while also suggesting that he’s not content to simply repeat the formula. There is evolution here, an expansion of scope without losing the essential weirdness that made it special.
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For Vishwak Sen, this represents perhaps the biggest risk of his career, trading the credibility of action hero for the uncertain rewards of comedy. For Kayadu Lohar, it’s a chance to announce her arrival in a film designed to grab attention. For the cast whose faces appear briefly in the trailer, it’s a chance to be a part of something that could become the most cited film of this year.
But above all, Funky represents something simpler: the return of a filmmaker who understands that in an industry that often takes itself too seriously, there is revolutionary power in making people laugh unapologetically.
On February 13, theaters will be packed with audiences eager to see if Anudeep can work his magic again. The trailer suggests that maybe it could. And in a world that often lacks genuine joy, that’s a gift worth celebrating, even if it arrives wrapped in the most wonderful and strange packaging imaginable.
The circus comes to town. Bring your sense of humor and leave your logic at the door.