An overview into some of the most impactful Telugu movies both in theatres and OTT.
The year 2024 has mostly belonged to stories with interesting storylines rather than the big star vehicles. A very good example of this is Venky Atluri’s Lucky Baskhar.
Venky Atluri started as a romantic director with the likes of Varun Tej’s Tholi Prema (2018) and Nithin’s Rang De (2021). But Dhanush’s Vaathi (2023) marked a significant shift in his career.
With Lucky Baskhar the director pushed the envelope further with the financial thriller/drama. The tight writing coupled with Dulquer Salmaan’s fantastic act made it a major winner.
Prashanth Varma’s Hanu-Man starring young hero Teja Sajja like the film’s storyline was an underdog movie with fewer expectations. The film clashed with big star vehicles but it ended up being hugely profitable for everyone concerned. Hanu-Man is a perfect example of how sometimes an engaging script can transform an actor into a star.
35 Chinna Katha Kadu directed by Nanda Kishore Emani and presented by Rana Dagubbati also deserves a special mention. It was a small movie with a big heart.
Among the big-scale action films, Naga Ashwin’s Kalki 2898 AD managed to sail through mainly because of two aspects. The first one is the merging of a dystopian world with the events of Mahabharata, second, is Amitabh Bachchan’s towering act as Ashwatthama.
Sukumar’s Pushpa 2: The Rise on the other hand rode majorly on Allu Arjun’s histrionics and some well-crafted moments. A major highlight is Allu Arjun’s dance in a saree during a very moving jathara sequence, the film has seen extremely polarizing reviews still the movie managed to make big numbers.
Following are some of the most impactful Telugu movies of this year
Lucky Baskhar
Lucky Baskhar directed by Venky Atluri is a refreshingly different story for mainstream Telugu cinema. The theme of financial crimes in the backdrop of a bank is an extremely challenging subject given the intricate details. But Venky Atluri made sure that the movie didn’t become overly complicated.
The functioning of stock markets and the banking system was handled in such a way that even a layman could understand.
What also worked majorly for Lucky Baskhar was the layered characterization of the central character coupled with Dulquer Salmaan’s brilliant performance.
The journey of Baskhar from an honest employee to becoming a scamster and the subsequent changes took the viewers on a roller coaster ride. Apart from Dulqer’s solid act the film also had some impactful dialogues particularly the ones related to success, failure and greed.
35 Chinna Katha Kadu
35 Chinna Katha Kadu was a much-needed slice of drama amidst the ultra-masculine heroes. Director Nanda Kishore Emani created an authentic atmosphere whether it was the school portions or the husband and wife relationship going through many ups and downs.
The film made some pertinent points on the necessity of encouraging a child’s curiosity. The second half of 35 Chinna Katha Kadu was more engaging.
The portions of Nivetha Thomas Sarswati battling her own demons while making sure that her son gets passing marks in mathematics had many heart-warming moments. Nivetha Thomas delivered a breakthrough act getting into the skin of a traditional housewife who has to rise against all odds. Newcomer Vishwadev Rachkonda also shined bright.
Priyadarshi as the snooty teacher Chanakya does border on being a caricature but in the context of the story it completely works. Priyadarshi was majorly successful in making the audience hate him.
In spite of the slow pace and predictable scenarios, it was a heartwarming film exploring how parents and educators should explain concepts in an interesting manner rather than dismissing a child’s curiosity.
Hanu-Man
On the surface Hanu- Man is a typical good versus evil plot but what made the movie work was the perfect amalgamation of devotional, superhero and pop culture elements. The character graph of Teja Sajja’s Hanumanthu was another big plus for the movie.
He goes from being a carefree guy to eventually realising his powers and most importantly using them for the greater good, this was wonderfully written and enacted.
Apart from Teja Sajja Varalakshmi Sarathkumar as the strong elder sister also had a pivotal role, the brother and sister bond gave the movie an emotional gravitas.
Varalakshmi Sarathkumar also got her own delightful mass moment. The film’s budget is nowhere close to the likes of Adipurush but the special effects were far superior.
Saripodhaa Sanivaaram
Vivek Athreya’s Saripodhaa Sanivaaram was a quirky tale of two hot-headed men, presented in a commercial format. In many ways, the movie was a modern update of Salim-Javed’s Angry Young Man. What made the film engaging was the strong characterization of both the hero and the villain.
Vivek Athreya also added interesting quirks to the characters of both Nani and SJ Suryah. SJ Suryah’s character, for instance, had shades of sarcastic humour, where he could switch from being serious to jovial in the blink of an eye.
Nani’s character, on the other hand, is someone who suppresses his anger until Saturday, only unleashing it when he feels it is truly justified. These nuances added depth to the characters, and both Nani and SJ Suryah delivered impactful performances.
The dynamics between Nani and his father, played by Sai Kumar, were also a delight to watch. Their scenes were filled with numerous laugh-out-loud moments, while also showcasing warmth.
Ambajipeta Marriage Band
Suhas and Shivani Nagaram play the lead roles in ‘Ambajipeta Marriage Band’. (X)
Dushyant Kathikeni’s Ambajipeta Marriage Band carries a strong influence from Pa Ranjith and Vetrimaaran’s rustic Tamil dramas; nevertheless, the movie remains an engaging watch.
The story of Ambajipeta Marriage Band primarily revolves around the lives of a brother and sister. Suhas plays a barber, while Sharanya Pradeep portrays a government school teacher. The first half shows Suhas in his usual role as an underdog, while in the second half, his aggressive avatar takes the viewers by surprise.
Suhas was particularly impressive in these later portions. Sharanya Pradeep also made a significant impact with her fierce performance in the film.
Tillu Square
Siddhu Jonnalagadda’s follow-up to the 2022 popular film DJ Tillu was an entertaining comic thriller. The movie pretty much follows the same template as its predecessor.
A young man getting caught in a fresh tangle leading to various twists and turns, Anupama Parameshwaran played a morally dubious woman called Lily. The character of Lilly starts off as an innocent young woman but as the movie progresses the viewers get to see a different shade of her.
A major strength of Tillu Square was its fun-filled dialogues majorly enhanced by Siddhu Jonnalagadda’s wonderful comic timing. The actor’s energetic persona coupled with his specific style of speaking thoroughly entertained the viewers.
Anupama Parameshwaran was not only sensuous successfully breaking away from her girl-next-door image, but she also did a fine job in portraying Lilly’s grey shades.
Bhamakalapam 2 (AHA)
Bhamakalapam 2 directed by Abhimanyu Tadimeti was a delicious sequel with an in-form Priyamani. The fresh adventures of Priyamani’s Anupama kept the viewers thoroughly entertained.
The jugulbandi between Priyamani and Sharanya Pradeep playing Anupama’s business partner was a major highlight of the sequel too.
The scenes between them often left the viewers in splits. A particular mention must be made of the portions where the cooking competition and heist take place simultaneously. These scenes have both tension and situational humour in equal measure.
In spite of some lags in the pre-climax, director Abhimanyu Tadimeti did a fine job in setting up a good base for the 3rd part.
(Edited by Sumavarsha)
