Cast: Nihal Kodati, Surya Srinivas, Kamal Kamaraju, Raghu Babu, Rangasthalam Mahesh, Srinivas Vadlamani, Srikanth Iyengar, Deeksha Panth and others Director: Akki Viswanath Reddy Producer: Akki Viswanath Reddy Music: Karthik Rodriguez Cinematography: Suresh R Editing: Marthand K. Venkatesh Release Date: September 18, 2026 Nihal Kodati and Surya Srinivas headline ‘Secret Soldier’, an emotional crime drama built around friendship, patriotism and espionage. Directed by Akki Viswanath Reddy, the film comes with an interesting premise and a strong patriotic backdrop. Does it manage to keep the audience engaged? Here’s our review. Story A highly sensitive piece of information related to India gets leaked, setting off a chain of events. Meanwhile, in Nellore, two close friends, Vali (Nihal Kodati) and Prithvi (Surya Srinivas), lead an ordinary life. While Prithvi is practical and grounded, Vali is more emotional and deeply patriotic. Things take a dramatic turn when Vali is branded as a traitor and faces severe humiliation. However, Vali's love for the country remains unquestionable. As a dangerous conspiracy threatens the nation, he sets out to stop it. Why is Vali labelled a traitor? What is the conspiracy targeting the country? How does Vali fight the forces behind it? What happens to him in the process? And what does Prithvi do after discovering the truth about his friend? The answers form the rest of the story. What Works The film's core idea, combining friendship, patriotism and espionage, is interesting. The theme of individuals making personal sacrifices for the country is also handled with sincerity. Nihal Kodati delivers a good performance as Vali. He effectively conveys the character's emotional connection with the country. Surya Srinivas also delivers one of his better performances as Prithvi. Kamal Kamaraju is convincing in his role, while Raghu Babu, Rangasthalam Mahesh, Srinivas Vadlamani and Srikanth Iyengar make their presence felt in important roles. The attempt to explore certain aspects of the RAW system is interesting. A few key sequences in the first half and the interval block work well. What Doesn't Work The biggest drawback is the slow-paced screenplay. Despite having an interesting premise, several portions of the film move at a very simple and predictable pace. The first half has quite a few slow and unengaging stretches. The story needed a stronger build-up to create more tension around the central conflict. There are also several unnecessary lag moments. The slow narration and some weak emotional sequences prevent the drama from reaching its full potential. Since the story revolves heavily around a national security and espionage conflict, the central conspiracy needed to be established in greater detail and with stronger conviction. The second half attempts to increase the emotional quotient, but the emotions do not always land effectively. Some scenes feel stretched, while the climax also fails to deliver the expected impact. Technical Aspects Suresh R's cinematography is one of the film's major strengths. His camera work, particularly during the action sequences, adds visual impact to the proceedings. Marthand K. Venkatesh's editing is decent, while Karthik Rodriguez's music is adequate. The production values could have been stronger, especially considering the scale of the story. Director Akki Viswanath Reddy has chosen an interesting subject, but the screenplay needed more depth and tension. With a tighter script and a more engaging narrative, the film could have created a stronger impact. Verdict ‘Secret Soldier’ has an interesting combination of friendship, patriotism and espionage. The film also has a few well-planned thriller elements and strong performances from the lead actors. However, the slow screenplay, underwhelming second half, stretched sequences and logical gaps in a few key scenes work against the film. The concept has potential, but the execution does not consistently match it. TT Rating: ⭐ 7/10