South Indian cinema has lined up several interesting releases in theaters this week. As Pongal and Sankranti celebrations heat up, let’s take a look at some of the top films to watch on the big screen. 8 South Films to Watch in Theaters This Week 1. Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu Cast: Chiranjeevi, Nayanthara, Catherine Tresa, Zarina Wahab, Harsha Vardhan, Abhinav Gomatam, Sachin Khedekar, Sharat Saxena, Sudev Nair, Venkatesh Daggubati (cameo) Director: Anil Ravipudi Genre: Action Comedy Language: Telugu Runtime: 2 hours and 36 minutes Release Date: January 12, 2026 Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu explores the story of Shankara Varaprasad, a national security officer with the NIA. He is married to Sasirekha, the daughter of a wealthy man, who marries Shankara despite her father’s disapproval of his middle-class background. Due to his disapproval, Sasirekha’s father becomes an obstacle in the couple’s relationship. Following a series of misunderstandings, Shankara and Sasirekha separate, even though they still have feelings for each other. As Shankara is assigned a new mission, he must also navigate his fractured relationship …