Allari Naresh’s Alcohol locks December 18 release

Allari Naresh is heading back to theatres in a different register. His next film, Alcohol, has locked a worldwide theatrical release for December 18, 2026. Directed by Meher Tej, the Telugu action crime thriller pairs him with Niharika NM and Ruhani Sharma.

A darker chapter gets a date

The release date arrived with a new poster and a promise from the makers: “The countdown to madness begins!”

• Director: Meher Tej
• Leads: Allari Naresh, Niharika NM, Ruhani Sharma
• Supporting: Satya, Harshavardhan, Girish Kulkarni
• Music: Ghibran; cinematography: Jiju Sunny
• Backed by: Naga Vamsi and Trivikram Srinivas

From comedy image to controlled chaos

Naresh plays a wealthy businessman who stays away from alcohol. The teaser underlines that choice: his character says he does not want alcohol controlling his mind, while the visuals cut between his behaviour before and after drinking. The actor also carries a stylish, darker look this time.

For fans who know him primarily as a comic lead, the shift is the real hook. A genre pivot like this lets a popular actor test a different muscle, and the teaser is selling that change first.

The teaser sets up the transformation without giving away the full plot. That before-and-after contrast is a familiar device, but it does two jobs at once: it tells us the character’s rule and shows the moment that rule breaks. For a star moving away from comedy, that clarity matters more than a long voiceover.

After a modest run, a reset

Naresh was last seen in Ramba Oorvasi Menaka, which blended mythology, village humour and comedy. The film drew a mixed response and collected a total gross of Rs 5.04 crore, according to Sacnilk.

Alcohol, with its crime plot and darker tone, is positioned differently. A December 18 slot offers a holiday window, but the film will still need strong word of mouth from its first shows to convince the audience that knows Naresh as a funnyman.

For now, the date is the news. The performance will be the test.

Source: The Times of India