Sanchari Becomes Saptasagaralu Saptagirulu: Nivin Pauly’s Tamil Film Lands in Telugu on October 9

Director Ram’s long-delayed film with Nivin Pauly, Anjali and Soori reaches Telugu theatres on Friday, October 9, under a name it was not originally meant to carry. Distributor M. Subbareddy of Colors & Claps Entertainments is releasing the Telugu dub as Saptasagaralu Saptagirulu (సప్తసాగరాలు సప్తగిరులు). According to the makers, the dub was earlier lined up to arrive as Sanchari.

Why the Name Changed

The new title is a literal rendering of the film’s original Tamil name, Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai, which translates to “Seven Seas, Seven Hills.” Sanchari, meaning wanderer, described the central character well, but it was a different name from the one the film carries in Tamil and on the festival circuit. A faithful translation means Telugu viewers searching for the film, or reading coverage of its Tamil release, will find the same title everywhere.

The phrase will also sound familiar to Telugu audiences from the Telugu dub of the Kannada romance Sapta Sagaralu Dhaati in 2023. Whether or not that influenced the decision, a title that already sounds familiar doesn’t hurt recall. The makers haven’t explained the reason for the change, so this is our reading rather than their statement.

What the Film Is

Ram, the filmmaker behind Thanga Meenkal, Taramani and Peranbu, wrote and directed the film. Nivin Pauly plays Muthu, a weary wanderer who claims to be around 8,000 years old. His path crosses with Soori’s character on a train on a rainy night, and Anjali plays a mystical woman in the story. Yuvan Shankar Raja composed the music, N. K. Ekambaram handled the cinematography, and Suresh Kamatchi produced it under V House Productions.

How to label it depends on who you ask. The Telugu release material calls it a romantic psychological thriller, while Tamil coverage has described it as a fantasy romance or a fantasy drama. That uncertainty fits a film that has taken an unusual route to the screen: announced in October 2022 on Nivin Pauly’s birthday, premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2024, and released in Tamil Nadu only on October 1, 2026. It is Nivin’s third Tamil lead role, after Neram in 2013 and Richie in 2017.

How the Tamil Original Has Been Received

The makers say the Telugu trailer has drawn a good response, but the Tamil release offers a more mixed picture. Trade trackers described a slow start at the box office, notable because both leads arrive on career highs: Nivin’s Bethlehem Kudumba Unit has reportedly crossed ₹300 crore worldwide to become the highest-grossing Malayalam film ever, and Soori’s Mandaadi has been reported to be nearing ₹100 crore net in India.

Early reactions split along familiar lines. Nivin’s restrained performance and the film’s visuals drew praise, while the pacing, especially in the first half, drew criticism from viewers who found it slow. Those are early snapshots from the first days of a run, not a final verdict, and this site hasn’t yet seen the Telugu audience’s response.

A Crowded Friday

The Telugu dub also opens into a busy week. Current schedules put it on the same day as Adarsha Kutumbam, with Jailer 2 and Ranabaali following on October 15 and 16, a pile-up we looked at in our piece on this Dussehra’s release rush. For a dubbed, performance-driven drama, that’s a difficult slot, and word of mouth from the Tamil run will likely matter more than any amount of promotion.

If you enjoyed Ram’s earlier work and are comfortable with a slow-burn film built around conversation and performance, this is the one to consider. If you’re looking for a festive crowd-pleaser, the other releases that week are likely a better fit. We’ll update this report once Telugu audience reactions are in.