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Movie Review: KJQ (King Jackie Queen) (2026) – A Gritty Crime Drama About Friendship, Power and Betrayal
KJQ (King Jackie Queen) is a Telugu period crime drama directed by Kiran Kumar (KK) and produced by Sudhakar Cherukuri under SLV Cinemas. The film stars Dheekshith Shetty, Shashi Odela and Yukti Thareja in the lead roles.
Set against a 1990s backdrop, the film explores the rise of Partha, his deep friendship with Jackie, and the way ambition, obsession and betrayal gradually destroy their bond. The film was released theatrically on August 7, 2026, with an A certificate and a listed runtime of around 1 hour 50 minutes on BookMyShow. (BookMyShow)
The film is also notable as the final directorial work of Kiran Kumar, who passed away before its theatrical release. (TV9 Telugu)
Quick Review Overview
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Director | Kiran Kumar (KK) |
| Writer | Kiran Kumar |
| Lead Cast | Dheekshith Shetty, Shashi Odela, Yukti Thareja |
| Supporting Cast | Muralidhar Goud, Rekha Nirosha, Surekha Vani, Ankur Vikal, Manika Chikkala, Meesala Lakshman |
| Music Composer | Poornachandra Tejaswi |
| Cinematography | Nagesh Banell |
| Editor | Shravan Katikaneni |
| Genre | Action / Crime / Drama |
| Language | Telugu |
| Runtime | Approx. 110 Minutes |
| Certification | A |
| Release Date | August 7, 2026 |
| Production | SLV Cinemas |
| Producer | Sudhakar Cherukuri |
The principal cast and crew are listed by BookMyShow, IMDb and Telugu film-review sources. (BookMyShow)
Storyline: When Friendship Turns Into a War for Power
At the centre of KJQ are Partha, played by Dheekshith Shetty, and Jackie, played by Shashi Odela.
The two are extremely close friends.
Their friendship begins in a relatively ordinary environment, but circumstances gradually push Partha toward the criminal underworld.
Partha believes that power is the only way to survive.
As he becomes increasingly involved in crime, he rises from humble beginnings to become a feared figure.
Jackie remains beside him.
He isn’t simply Partha’s friend. He becomes his trusted companion, protector and partner in the dangerous world they have entered.
But power changes Partha.
The arrival of Bhargavi, played by Yukti Thareja, further complicates their relationship.
Bhargavi is an actress with her own troubled past and a strong sense of self-respect. Her presence creates tension between the two friends.
Partha becomes increasingly possessive and ruthless, while Jackie begins questioning the path they have chosen.
Their friendship slowly transforms into rivalry.
The film’s central conflict therefore becomes:
How far can friendship survive when power, ego, obsession and betrayal enter the equation?
That basic premise gives KJQ an interesting foundation, even though the execution doesn’t always reach the level of its ambition. (123Telugu)
Character Performances: Dheekshith Shetty Leads the Show
Dheekshith Shetty as Partha
Dheekshith Shetty is easily the film’s biggest strength.
As Partha, he gets a morally complicated character who gradually transforms from an ambitious young man into a ruthless criminal.
The actor handles the negative shades convincingly.
His body language becomes increasingly aggressive as Partha gains power, and his performance gives the character the intensity required for a gangster drama.
The film works best whenever it concentrates on Partha’s transformation.
Even reviewers who were critical of the screenplay praised Shetty’s committed performance. (123Telugu)
For an actor still building his position as a leading man, KJQ gives Dheekshith Shetty a substantial role to prove that he can carry darker material.
Shashi Odela as Jackie
Shashi Odela makes his acting debut as Jackie.
Jackie is an interesting contrast to Partha.
While Partha is fascinated by power, Jackie wants a more peaceful life.
Yet his loyalty to his friend repeatedly pulls him deeper into the criminal world.
Shashi Odela brings a quiet intensity to the character.
He doesn’t attempt to imitate a conventional mass hero, which helps make Jackie feel different from Partha.
For a debut performance, it is a confident effort.
Several reviews specifically identify his debut as one of the film’s positives. (123Telugu)
Yukti Thareja as Bhargavi
Yukti Thareja gets a character that is somewhat different from the usual commercial heroine.
Bhargavi is not simply a romantic interest.
She has her own history, ambitions and personality.
Her arrival changes the relationship between Partha and Jackie.
Yukti brings confidence to the role and gets some of the film’s more engaging moments.
However, the screenplay could have developed Bhargavi further.
Her character has potential, but the story ultimately remains more interested in the two male leads.
Muralidhar Goud
Muralidhar Goud is part of the supporting ensemble and contributes to the film’s crime-world atmosphere.
His experience helps provide stability to the supporting portions.
Ankur Vikal
Ankur Vikal adds further weight to the criminal side of the narrative.
His presence helps expand the film beyond the central friendship conflict.
Surekha Vani and Supporting Cast
Surekha Vani, Rekha Nirosha, Manika Chikkala and Meesala Lakshman also contribute to the supporting ensemble.
Their performances help populate the film’s world, although the screenplay understandably gives most of the attention to Partha, Jackie and Bhargavi. (TV9 Telugu)
Technical Craft & Direction: Good Ideas, Uneven Execution
Director Kiran Kumar attempts to create a gritty period crime drama rather than a straightforward commercial gangster film.
The film uses friendship as the emotional foundation of its crime story.
That is a promising idea.
Unfortunately, the execution is inconsistent.
There are flashes of strong direction, particularly in certain action scenes and character-introduction sequences.
But the screenplay eventually settles into familiar gangster-drama territory. (123Telugu)
Cinematography
Nagesh Banell handles the cinematography.
The film has a polished visual appearance, particularly during its crime and action sequences.
The period setting helps establish a distinctive atmosphere, while the darker lighting complements the underworld storyline.
The cinematography is one of the film’s more dependable technical departments. (123Telugu)
Music & Background Score
Poornachandra Tejaswi provides the music.
The soundtrack supports the film’s dark atmosphere, while the background score works particularly well during the action sequences.
Some of the melodies are pleasant, although the songs don’t always feel organically integrated into the narrative. (123Telugu)
Sound Design
The sound design by Saumit Deshmukh adds impact to the action portions.
Gunshots, confrontations and violent sequences receive an appropriate amount of sonic weight.
This becomes particularly effective during the film’s more intense moments. (123Telugu)
Editing
Shravan Katikaneni handles the editing.
Unfortunately, editing is one of the weaker areas.
The film uses a somewhat non-linear and multi-perspective narrative structure, revisiting certain events from different viewpoints.
In theory, this could have created suspense.
In practice, some repetitions slow down the movie.
Several reviews have specifically criticised the pacing and repetitive scenes, saying that the relatively short runtime can nevertheless feel longer than it actually is. (123Telugu)
Critical Analysis: Friendship Is the Real Hero
The strongest concept in KJQ is not the gangster story.
It is the friendship between Partha and Jackie.
At the beginning, the two men are united by loyalty.
But their definitions of success gradually become different.
Partha sees power as freedom.
Jackie sees friendship and peace as more valuable.
That philosophical difference eventually becomes the source of their conflict.
The film therefore explores several themes:
- Friendship
- Ambition
- Power
- Ego
- Obsession
- Betrayal
- Revenge
- The corrupting influence of crime
Unfortunately, the screenplay doesn’t explore these themes deeply enough.
The premise promises a complex emotional conflict, but the film often chooses conventional gangster beats instead.
The result is a movie with a better idea than execution.
123Telugu gave the film 2.25/5, describing it as a promising crime drama weakened by sluggish narration, repetitive storytelling and underdeveloped drama. (123Telugu)
Telugu360 was even more critical, rating it 2/5 and similarly pointing to the screenplay and execution as major problems. (Telugu360)
At the same time, audience reactions on BookMyShow have been considerably more positive, with many users highlighting the story, acting, direction and music. (BookMyShow)
So KJQ is clearly a film where audience enjoyment and critical evaluation may differ considerably.
What Works
✅ Dheekshith Shetty
A committed and intense performance that carries much of the film.
✅ Shashi Odela’s Debut
A confident first performance with a character that provides a strong contrast to Partha.
✅ Yukti Thareja
Gets a different kind of role and brings personality to Bhargavi.
✅ Friendship Theme
The emotional foundation of the story is more interesting than the conventional gangster elements.
✅ Cinematography
Nagesh Banell gives the film a polished visual identity.
✅ Action
The action sequences have energy and effective sound design.
✅ Ambition
The film attempts a non-linear crime narrative instead of delivering a completely straightforward gangster story.
What Doesn’t Work
❌ Weak Execution
The basic premise has potential but isn’t fully developed.
❌ Repetitive Narration
Revisiting events from multiple perspectives sometimes slows the movie down.
❌ Predictable Second Half
The story becomes increasingly conventional as it moves toward the climax.
❌ Limited Emotional Depth
The friendship between Partha and Jackie deserved stronger emotional writing.
❌ Underdeveloped Characters
Several supporting characters don’t receive enough depth.
❌ Uneven Pacing
The film is relatively short but can still feel lengthy because of repetitive scenes. (123Telugu)
Final Verdict: Is It Worth Watching?
KJQ (King Jackie Queen) is a gritty Telugu crime drama with a strong central friendship, committed performances and solid technical work, but an uneven screenplay prevents it from becoming a memorable gangster film.
Dheekshith Shetty is the standout performer. His transformation into Partha gives the movie its strongest dramatic moments.
Shashi Odela makes an impressive debut as Jackie, while Yukti Thareja brings freshness to the female lead.
The film’s cinematography, music, sound design and action sequences are all reasonably effective.
The biggest problem is the writing.
The friendship-versus-power concept could have produced a much more emotionally powerful crime drama, but repetitive narration, predictable developments and an uneven second half reduce its impact.
Still, if you enjoy Telugu gangster movies, friendship-based crime stories, dark characters and action dramas, KJQ is worth a one-time watch.
It also carries an added emotional significance as late director Kiran Kumar’s final film, making it an important entry in his filmography. (TV9 Telugu)
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ / 5
