Little hearts is a romantic comedy, Indian Telugu language film that came out at the box office on 5 September 2025, with a story by Sai Marthand and is directed by its producer Aditya Hasan under the ETV Win banner. It is directed by Mouli Tanuj Prashanth and Shivani Nagaram, with a strong supporting cast of Rajeev Kanakala, SS Kanchi, Anitha Chowdary, Satya Krishnan, Jai Krishna, and Nikhil Abburi. Sinjith Yerramilli composed the music, Surya Balaji did the cinematography, and the editing was done by Sreedhar Sompally. The film has a runtime of about 127-128 minutes and a U/A certificate and is a light and easygoing viewer that appeals to the youthful audiences in the areas that speak Telugu.
Little Hearts 2025: Overview
| Movie Name | Little Hearts |
| Release Date | 5 September 2025 |
| Country | India |
| Language | Telugu Language |
| Genre | Romantic Comedy Movie |
| Director & Writer | Sai Marthand |
| Producer | Aditya Hasan |
| Main Cast | Mouli Tanuj Prasanth, Shivani Nagaram, Rajeev Kanakala |
| Music Director | Sinjith Yerramilli |
| Cinematography | Suriya Balaji |
| Editor | Sreedhar Sompally |
| Production Company | ETV Win |
| Runtime | Around 128 minutes |
| Box Office | Reportedly earned over INR40 crore against a budget of about INR2.4 crore. |
Plot Summary Little Hearts
Little Hearts is a narrative based in Hyderabad in 2015, and whose protagonist is Nalli Akhil Kumar, a young gentleman whose father is in a desperate state of wanting him to be a software engineer. Akhil fails in the EAMCET exam and has no choice but to attend a long term coaching facility where he will have another opportunity to take the exam. Here he encounters Khathyayani, another struggling athlete who belongs to the BiPC stream and is no better placed in the coaching environment than she is. Akhil instantly falls in love with her and proposes marriage, but Khathyayani first turns him down giving a reason that appears to be bizarre and unforeseen. Instead of surrendering, Akhil sets out on a comical and emotional experience of learning her and falling in love.
The timeline of the story is one decade, 2015-2025, describing ten years of personal progress, friendship, and family pressure, and the type of love that remains the same regardless of how the surrounding world changes. Mixed into the narrative as it goes on, though, are the cultural touchstones such as the Baahubali craze, the Avatar allusions, the emergence of mobile internet, the huge stress levels surrounding the engineering and medical entrance exams, which make the movie seem like it has a thick layer of nostalgia that resonated loudly with the audience.
Cast Of Little Hearts 2025 & Roles

Mouli Tanuj Prashanth stars as the titular character Nalli Akhil Kumar, a young man born into the Sainikpuri of Hyderabad, but full life, ambition, but very poor in studies. He is improvised, comic, and charming, and Mouli seems to present a natural and smooth flair to the part, making the character immediately likeable Shivani Nagaram acts as Khathyayani, a girl who is equally a student of Vayupuri and is not doing well in her studies. She delivers her role in a friendly and modest manner, and her interaction with Mouli is one of the largest points of the movie.
Rajeev Kanakala is cast as the father of Akhil, Nalli Gopal Rao, who has high expectations of his son and believes that the only way to get a good life is to become an engineer. Kanakala adds gravitas and pathos to his role, and his scenes with Mouli are some of the most emotional scenes in the movie. SS Kanchi is the father of Khathayani and adds his fair share of laughs with the way he talks and the typical comic timing he happens to have.
Anitha Chowdary and Satya Krishnan are the mothers of the young couple, and they both present a well-cut and even performance. Jai Krishna is the best friend of Akhil, which plays the role of Madhu and is definitely one of the most discussed elements in the movie. His quick thinking and impromptu presentation and flawless comedic timing make him a scene-thief throughout. The supporting cast is completed by Nikhil Abburi and Shailaja Rao who also help to make the film world complete.
| Actor & Actress | Role Name |
| Mouli Tanuj Prasanth | Nalli Akhil Kumar |
| Shivani Nagaram | Akula Khathyayani |
| Rajeev Kanakala | Nalli Gopal Rao |
| S. S. Kanchi | Akula Krishnakanth |
| Raja Prajwal | Nalli Nikhil Kumar |
| Sai Marthand | Older Nikhil Kumar |
| Jai Krishna | Madhu |
| Nikhil Abburi | Aashish |
| Padmini Settam | Anjali |
| Harinath Raj | Kishore |
| Anitha Chowdary | Nalli Srilatha |
| Satya Krishnan | Akula Sangeetha |
| Madiha Nasreen | Akula Neelambari |
| Dheera Reddy Pisati | Older Neelambari |
| Mahesh Chintala | Koti Sir |
| Shailaja Durvasula | Sameera Krishnan |
OTT Availability And Release Date
Little Hearts initially was to be released directly digitally on ETV Win, but was later given a full theatrical release on 5 September 2025. The choice to put it in theatres proved to be one of the best decisions of the year by the team of the film. After the theatrical release, the film was released on ETV Win on 1 October 2025. By the end of 2025, the movie is also available on Netflix, and as such it can reach a significantly larger audience both in India and abroad.
Music And Singles
Little Hearts music was written by Sinjith Yerramilli, with Aditya Music buying the audio rights. It released two singles in anticipation of the theatrical release. Their debut single called Rajagadiki was released on 7 August 2025 and the second one called Chaduvu Ledu was released on 27 August 2025. Both songs were successful and contributed to the promotion of the movie. The background music does not overpower the lighter scenes of the story, but instead highlight the emotional rhythms, keeping it grounded and personal, which is one of the main underlying tones of the film.
Little Hearts Reviews And Rating
| Source | Rating |
| The Times of India | 3.5/5 |
| Cinema Express | Positive |
| Telugu Cinema | 2.5/5 |
Critics and audiences mostly gave Little Hearts positive critiques. The Indian Express gave the film 3.5 stars out of 5 and complimented the acting of the main two characters coupled with the supporting actors, that the editing was a perceptive piece of navigation through the plot without causing the film to appear disjointed at any point. The visual appeal provided by the use of the costumes, production design, and cinematography was also reflected well by the Hindu who also liked the quality of the writing.
At 123telugu.com, the film got a rating of 3/5 and it was termed as a timepass romantic comedy and that it provides laughs at every point of time. One of the negative points raised was that the plot is anemic and the conclusion resolves too fast, but the impression is pleasant and cozy overall. The film has received a rating of 7.6 out of 10 on IMDb which is an indication that it is highly valued by the audience. The film received admiration among audiences because of its relatability, natural comedy, and realism in terms of youthful love, and coaching culture in Hyderabad.
Box Office Collection
The budget of this movie was very low, around 2 to 2.4 crore, and the movie showed a very good performance. On its opening day, it generated around 1.35 crore, and till the first weekend, it has crossed more than 7 crore. If you are keen to know more about its box office collection, you can go through the table that we have provided below:
| Release Date | 5 September 2025 |
| Budget | INR2–2.4 crore |
| Opening Day Collection | INR1.35 crore |
| First Weekend Collection | INR7.35 crore (approx.) |
| First Week Collection | INR15.25 crore (approx.) |
| India Net Collection (Lifetime) | INR26.47 crore |
| India Gross Collection | INR31.23 crore |
| Overseas Collection | INR9.35 crore |
| Worldwide Gross Collection | INR40.58 crore |
| Verdict | Super Hit |
Even after a very limited budget, creators are able to make a good comedy-romantic movie that generates more revenue than they were expecting from the movie.
Little Hearts proved to be one of the greatest prestigious hits of the Telugu cinema of 2025. It began by collecting approximately 1.35 crore on its opening day and increased steadily through the opening weekend following one of the most outstanding word of mouth. The film had earned 15.25 crore net in India and by the end of the first week. In the second week, it earned another 7.6 crore and the movie ended its theatrical release with a lifetime net collection of around 26.47 crore in India.
This enabled Little Hearts to be one of the most profitable Indian movies of 2025 with a production budget of only approximately 2 crore, and it earned the company more than 1,200 percent of its invested capital. It was the third most profitable Indian film of the year in general, a phenomenal performance of a small film with no big stars and no pre-release publicity.
Reasons Behind Its Sleeper Hit Success
Little Hearts is not complicated in any way, and that is its greatest strength and a perfect way of how it accepts that mundane. The movie does not depend on plot twists, heroes of huge proportions, and sweeping romanticism. It merely narrates the life of two youngsters who struggle in life, fall in love, and decide on what kind of person they would like to become. The comedy is not forced, the romance unfolds in a realistic manner and the acting is not overworking. Director Sai Marthand had a clear idea of who he was addressing and provided them with what they needed, a film that is realistic, heartfelt, and sincerely funny. Little Hearts is a sign that in the case of good writing, the right cast and the right intentions, people will turn up despite the low budget and the star power attached to it.
Controversies About Little Hearts 2025
The movie, before its release, was involved in several controversies, and ban rumours spread on the social media platform. Moreover, the movie has to face criticism over its storytelling. To know more about the controversies surrounding this movie, check the information mentioned below:
| Ban Rumours / Release Issues (Not in All Regions) | Some older reports about a different film titled Little Hearts claimed it was banned in certain Gulf countries before release due to unspecified reasons, and generated speculation. However, this was about a different version, not the Telugu Little Hearts (2025). |
| Criticism over Storytelling | A few critics and reviewers described the movie’s plot as repetitive or simplistic, saying it felt like a stretched‑out college romance using short online‑style humour rather than a strong narrative. |
| OTT Rumours Confusion | There were false social media rumours about the film’s OTT release date shortly after theatrical opening, causing some confusion among fans until organisers clarified it would stay longer in cinemas. |
| Mixed Reaction from Some Reviewers | While many praised the fresh cast and youth appeal, some reviewers on independent platforms called the story immature or aimed mainly at younger social‑media audiences. |
Conclusion
Little Hearts 2025 is a romantic comedy movie which is available to see on several OTT platforms. The movie is directed by Anto Jose Perira, Aby Treesa Paul and written by Rajesh Pinnadan. Little Heat highlights some main social issues, like how the lead role’s father, Gopal Rao, expected his son to become an engineer. without his consent, which highlighted one of the biggest social issues that still exists in Indian society. Moreover, if we talk about the background music, it is composed by Kailas Menon and its audio rights were acquired by Sony Music India.
FAQ’s
Ans – The movie became a blockbuster at the box office and collected more than INR 40 Crore.
Ans – No, there is no confirmed information provided by any officials.
Ans – Yes, it is available to watch Little Hearts on Netflix.
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