Cult (2026) [Movie Review] — Love, Heartbreak and a New Beginning

Movie: Cult

Movie Type: Romance, Drama

Director and Writer: Anil Kumar

Cast: Zaid Khan, Rachita Ram, Malaika Vasupal, Rangayana Raghu, Achyuth Kumar, All Ok, and more.

Release Date: 23 January 2026

Runtime: 2 hours 43 minutes

Language: Kannada

Rating: A

Cult is a 2026 Kannada romantic drama directed by Anil Kumar. The movie stars Zaid Khan, Rachita Ram, and Malaika Vasupal in the main roles, with Rangayana Raghu, Achyuth Kumar, and All Ok in supporting roles.

The movie is mainly about love, heartbreak, and getting another chance to move forward. It follows a young man whose first relationship changes his life and leaves him struggling to trust love again.

What Is Cult About?

The story follows Madhava, also known as Maddy, played by Zaid Khan.

Madhava and Geetha fall in love while they are young and living in a village. Their relationship is simple and happy at first.

Things begin to change when they move to different cities for higher studies. Madhava goes to Manipal, while Geetha moves to Bengaluru.

As time passes, Geetha changes and decides to move forward with her life. Madhava finds it very difficult to accept the end of their relationship. He becomes angry, starts drinking heavily, and loses control of his life.

Later, Ithi enters Madhava's life.

She is also dealing with pain from her past. Madhava and Ithi gradually come to understand one another as they spend more time together. Their relationship gives Madhava another chance to think about love and his future.

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Cast and Performances

• Zaid Khan as Madhava/Maddy: He plays the main character. Zaid shows both sides of Madhava, from a young man in love to a person struggling after heartbreak. His action scenes and emotional moments are important parts of the film.

• Rachita Ram as Ithi: She plays a woman who enters Madhava's life after his first relationship ends. Ithi also has emotional problems of her own, which helps her understand Madhava.

• Malaika Vasupal as Geetha: She plays Madhava's first love. Her decisions create the biggest change in Madhava's life and move the main story forward.

• All Ok as DJ Joy: He plays Madhava's close friend. Joy stays beside him during his difficult time and often tries to help him.

• Achyuth Kumar as Madhava's Father: He appears in an important family role and shows another side of Madhava's personal life.

• Rangayana Raghu: He appears in an important supporting role connected to Ithi and her story.

The three lead actors carry most of the emotional parts of the movie, while the supporting cast adds family and friendship to the story.

Love and Heartbreak Are the Main Focus

Cult is mainly a story about what happens after a relationship ends.

Madhava does not handle his heartbreak well. Instead of accepting what happened, he becomes angry and starts destroying his own life.

The movie then asks whether a person can leave that pain behind when someone new enters their life.

The relationship between Madhava and Ithi gives the story its second-chance theme. Their relationship is complicated because both characters have traumatic memories.

The film also includes action, songs, family drama, and college-life scenes along with the romance.

What Works in Cult?

Zaid Khan's performance is one of the stronger parts of the movie. He gets a chance to show romance, anger, sadness, action, and dance.

Malaika Vasupal also brings emotion to the early love story between Geetha and Madhava. Rachita Ram gives Ithi a mix of strength and sadness. Cinema Express praised the performances and the emotional parts of the love story.

Arjun Janya's music and the film's camera work also add energy to several scenes.

However, reactions to the story were mixed. Some reviewers liked the emotional side of the film, while others felt that the story was weak and disliked the way some women and relationships were shown.

The movie is also quite long at around 2 hours and 43 minutes, which may make some parts feel slow. A certified duration of roughly 163 minutes is listed by the CBFC.

Is Cult Worth Watching?

Cult may be worth watching for people who enjoy emotional Kannada romance movies about love and heartbreak.

The film has romance, songs, action, friendship, family problems, and emotional scenes.

Zaid Khan fans may especially enjoy seeing him in a role that gives him many different types of scenes.

However, viewers looking for a fresh or simple love story may find some parts too dramatic or long. Reviews were divided, especially about the film's writing and its treatment of relationships.

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Final Verdict

Cult is a romantic drama about first love, heartbreak, pain, and finding another chance at love.

Zaid Khan leads the movie with an energetic performance, while Rachita Ram and Malaika Vasupal bring emotion to the two important relationships in Madhava's life.

The movie has good music, emotional scenes, and some strong performances. However, the long runtime and uneven story may not work for every viewer.

Fans of emotional love stories with drama and action may still find it interesting.

Our Rating: 6/10

FAQs About Cult

1. What is Cult about?

The movie follows Madhava, a young man who struggles after his first love ends and later meets Ithi, who helps him move forward.

2. Who plays the main role in Cult?

Zaid Khan plays Madhava, also known as Maddy.

3. Who are the female leads in Cult?

Rachita Ram plays Ithi, while Malaika Vasupal plays Geetha.

4. Who directed Cult?

Anil Kumar directed the movie.

5. When was Cult released?

The film was released on 23 January 2026.

6. How long is Cult? 

The movie runs for around 2 hours 43 minutes.