Best of Tollywood movies 2024: A strong year for small and moderate budget movies

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

A still from the film Lucky Baskhar
A still from the film ‘Lucky Baskhar’. (X)

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

Nivetha Thomas in 35 Chinna Katha Kadhu
Nivetha Thomas in ’35 Chinna Katha Kadhu’. (X)

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

Teja Sajja in Hanu-Man
Teja Sajja in ‘Hanu-Man’. (X)

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

Nani in Saripodhaa Sanivaaram
Nani in ‘Saripodhaa Sanivaaram’. (X)

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
Suhas and Shivani Nagaram play the lead roles in ‘Ambajipeta Marriage Band’. (X)

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 delivered a blockbuster with Tillu Square
Siddhu Jonnalagadda delivered a blockbuster with ‘Tillu Square’. (X)

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)

A still from the film Bhamakalapam 2
A still from the film ‘Bhamakalapam 2’. (X)

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)

Maidaan : A treat for football buffs and Ajay Devgan fans

Regardless of the underdog template, ‘Maidaan’ must be watched in theatres to know the past glory of Indian football and a forgotten hero — Syed Abdul Rahim.
Maidaan (Hindi), 10-04-2024, Sports Biography, 3 hours 1 minute, U/A, Theatre
  • Main Cast: Ajay Devgn, Priya Mani, Gajaraj Rao, Rudranil Ghosh, and Raphael Jose
  • Director: Amit Ravindernath Sharma
  • Producer: Zee Studios, Boney Kapoor, Arunava Joy Sengupta, and Akash Chawla
  • Music Director: AR Rahman
  • Cinematography: Fyodor Lyass
  • Rating: 3.5/5
  • Published in: Southfirst

In a cricket-frantic country like ours, it takes a lot of courage to make a movie (Maidaan) on a sport like football, that too, in a period which very few in this generation would be aware of.

There was a period when Indian football was at its peak under the coach Syed Abdul Rahim. He faced many challenges and hardships, including a battle with deteriorating health.

However, he and his team overcame many difficulties and won at the Asian Common Wealth Games 1962 in Jakarta Indonesia.

After that success, India never won again. Unfortunately, Rahim also passed away some months later and Indian football has never been the same again.

Synopsis

Ajay Devgn in Boney Kapoor’s ‘Maidaan’. (X)

Maidaan begins in the year 1952. India faces a shameful defeat in the Olympics. Syed Abdul Rahim (Ajay Devgn) takes on the challenge of handpicking raw talents from across the country and forms a team that wins against all odds.

Along with Rahim, the movie also throws light on legends PK Banerjee, Chuni Goswami, and others. There is also Priya Mani as Rahim’s wife Saira. She is an important pillar of support to Rahim.

Saira is also seen trying to learn English. Gajraj Rao plays sports journalist Prabhu Gosh. It is a role which is a far cry from Amit Sharma’s previous directorial Badhaai Ho (2018).

First and foremost, the template of Maidaan is similar to many underdog sports dramas, particularly Chak De! India (2007).

Here too, the Indian football team goes into the 1962 Olympics without any expectations of winning. It faces a humiliating defeat in the first match with Korea but makes a strong comeback, thus surprising everyone.

Works despite predictability

A still from ‘Maidaan’. (X)

Despite the predictable scenarios, what makes Maidaan work is the detailing of Amit Sharma.

The director gives a wholesome account of the events that led to India’s win at the 1962 Asian Games.

A big strength of Maidaan is the characterisation of the central protagonist.

The highs and lows of Rahim’s journey and how he crossed numerous obstacles have been well-written and enacted.

The husband and wife scenes have also come out strongly. Priya Mani’s attempts at learning English while conversing with her husband bring a smile to the viewer’s face. There is a certain old charm in their romantic scenes.

Priya Mani’s Saira is not just a dedicated homemaker. She has a voice of her own, which comes out strongly in a couple of scenes.

The actor aces her part and makes her presence amply felt.

The choreography of the football sequences is easily some of the finest you would see on the big screen.

Cinematographer Fedor Lyass along with action director RP Yadav do an outstanding job in capturing the intensity of a football match. You know how things will turn out, but still, you will clap.

AR Rahman’s music is not of the chartbuster type. However, the songs help propel the drama.

They are mostly used in the background and come at the right time. My favourite ones are “Ranga Ranga” and “Jaane Do“.

Through Maidaan, Amit Sharma has also touched upon how regional politics is a huge bane for any sport and how football is the heaviest causality.

Performances

Gajraj Rao in ‘Maidaan’. (X)

The first half of Maidaan does make the viewers impatient.

Amit Sharma’s detailing does deserve appreciation but the portions depicting the federation politics could have done with some serious trimming.

Also, the hangover of other sports films does hinder the viewing experience at some points.

As Syed Abdul Rahim, Ajay Devgn brings his trademark intensity. The actor does a terrific job of showcasing the different facets of Rahim — the passion for football and the tactical acumen. A particular mention must be made of the scenes where Ajay depicts Rahim’s battle with lung cancer while ensuring that his team wins.

Among the football players, Chaitanya Sharma as PK Banerjee deserves a particular mention. The young actor delivers a fiery performance.

Gajraj Rao and Rudranail Ghosh as the thorns in the flesh do a good job of making the viewers hate them, although the characters border on being caricaturists.

Final take

Maidaan is a big-screen experience that should not be missed.

Article 370: An Unabashed Glorification Of Governments Policies

In simple terms, ‘Article 370’ is about how Zooni and Rajeshwari play a big role in bringing the government’s efforts to fruit.
  • Main Cast: Yami Gautam, Priya Mani, Arun Govil, Iravati Harshe, Raj Zutshi, and Divya Seth Shah
  • Director: Aditya Suhas Jambhale
  • Producer: Jyoti Deshpande, Aditya Dhar, and Lokesh Dhar
  • Music Director: Shashwat Sachdev
  • Cinematography: Siddharth Deena Vasani
  • Genre: Political, Drama
  • Run Time: 2 Hours 40 Minutes
  • Rating: 2.5
  • Published in: Southfirst

In the last few years, there has been a disturbing trend of movies pandering to the ruling party — whether it is Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files (2022) or Sudipto Sen’s Kerala Story (2023).

The latest, Aditya Suhas Jambhale’s Article 370, perfectly fits into this category.

The film is divided into six chapters and moves between the timeline of 2015 and 2019.

Synopsis

Article 370 primarily follows the journey of two women. One is a Kashmiri intelligence officer Zooni Haksar (Yami Gautam).

She has a firebrand personality. Zooni doesn’t believe in following orders and goes more by instinct, much like the leading men do in these kinds of films.

She manages to capture and kill Burhan Wani. But this only leads her to be transferred to Delhi.

On the other end of the spectrum lies bureaucrat Rajeshwari (Priya Mani).

Rajeshwari is the exact opposite of Zooni in terms of temperament. Rajeshwari is as cool as a cucumber. She is a representative of the government’s efforts to revoke Article 370.

In simple terms, the story focuses on how Zooni and Rajeshwari play a role in bringing the government’s efforts to fruit.

A slow start

‘Article 370’ is a political drama. (X)

The first half of Article 370 is more about setting up the plot. Nothing much happens, and as viewers, you feel a certain amount of restlessness. But thankfully, the film does pick up speed around the interval point.

There are many thrilling moments in the second half where the audiences feel an adrenaline rush. A particular mention must be made of a battle sequence that takes place during a critical juncture. The action choreography here is top-notch, just like Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019).

Another USP of Article 370 is its two leading women. It is refreshing to see two female actors being the driving force of a story.

Yami Gautam delivers an intense performance. She nails the part of a hot-headed person who is also vulnerable.

Priya Mani’s performance, on the other hand, works as a perfect foil to the intensity of Yami. The actor underplays her role but still stands out.

The other supporting characters are fine, in their respective parts, with particular mention of Arun Govil as PM Narendra Modi.

The background score by Shashwat Sachdev also helps significantly make the second half more effective.

Politics of the film

A major problem with Article 370 is its depiction of the Kashmir politicians. They come across as more cartoonish villains rather than proper political personalities.

Throughout the movie, they are shown as greedy people who do nothing apart from scheming and creating paid stone pelters.

In contrast to this, Modi & Co are shown to be the only ones concerned about the welfare of the Kashmir state and its people.

Also, the voices of an ordinary Kashmiri are barely heard, except for one old man who is only seen lamenting against the existing leadership in the valley.

Verdict

Article 370 works perfectly if you are a devotee of Narendra Modi. But for the rest, it is a tough pill to swallow.

Bhamakalapam 2: A Delicious Sequel With An ‘In-Form’ Priya Mani

Director Abhimanyu Tadimeti keeps the viewers thoroughly intrigued. The characterisation of Priya Mani’s Anupama continues to be a big highlight.
Bhamakalapam 2 (Telugu); Crime Thriller, 2 hours 8 minutes U/A
  • Main Cast: Priya Mani, Shranya Pradeep, Bramhaji, and Seerat Kapoor
  • Director: Abhimanyu Tadimeti
  • Producer: Sudheer Edara and Bhogavalli Bapineedu
  • Music Director: Prashanth V Vihari
  • Cinematography: Deepak Yaragera
  • Rating: 3.5
  • Published in: Southfirst

Bhamakalapam (2022), directed by Abhimanyu Tadimeti, was an engrossing thriller with elements of crime, greed, and religion.

The pivot of the first part was about an extremely valuable egg that is worth ₹200 crore. This egg is stolen by someone and gets lost again.

Priya Mani’s Anupama was a homemaker-cum-YouTuber who kept a sharp eye on the neighbourhood. In a way, she was the Sherlock Homes of her apartment.

Abhimanyu Tadimeti did a good job of building the mystery around the egg along with making a strong statement about finding god within you.

The first part was released in 2022 and now, you have the sequel after a gap of two years.

The second part begins with Anupama and her family shifting to a new place.

Synopsis

Priya Mani and Sharanya Pradeep in ‘Bhamakalapam 2’, a thriller. (X)

Anupama’s husband Mohan (Pradeep Rudra) asks her to not meddle in other people’s issues. Meanwhile, Anupama launches a restaurant with the revenue generated from YouTube.

She makes Shilpa (Sharanya Pradeep) her business partner.

Just when everything seems to be going well, the life of Anupama takes a drastic turn.

She unintentionally helps the police in catching a criminal while practising driving with the instructor next to her.

Bramhaji plays the teacher. He uses this incident to increase the popularity of his driving school.

The person gets out on bail and starts threatening Anupama. To get out of this mess, Anupama and Shilpa approach Sadanand (Anish Gurwara), who used to work as the head of Narcotics Control. However, this only results in the situation becoming messier.

A situation comes when Anupama has to steal an illustration of an adult male chicken worth a lot of money. She has no other option.

Additionally, Anupama and Shilpa are selected to participate in a major cooking competition. Adding to this mix are the new characters like Jubeda (Seerat Kapoor).

Playing to the strengths

A big strength of Bhamakalapam 2 is the jugulbandi between Priya Mani and Sharanya.

The actors take off effortlessly from where they left off in the first part. Their scenes together leave the viewers in splits.

Abhimanyu Tadimeti also does a good job of developing the new characters.

For example, the viewers are initially supposed to sympathise with the character of Sadanand, an outcast officer. But soon, that changes with his behaviour towards Anupama. His plans of stealing the valuable item and how he goes about it keep the viewers on the hooks.

Similarly, the track of Seerat Kapoor, a former TV actor, has also been well-written. The character comes with grey shades that go beyond just her glamorous looks.

The portions of the heist mixed with the cooking competition are another highlight of the film.

A few minutes after the cooking competition begins, Anupama deliberately cuts her finger as it is time to execute the heist plan.

While doing Sadanand’s job, she also gives cooking instructions to Shilpa through the second earphone.

A far-fetched heist

A still from the film ‘Bhamakalapam 2’. (X)

The heist scenes are far-fetched in nature, but what makes them work is the handling of Abhimanyu Tadimeti.

Pre-climax also has a good twist regarding the illustration of the adult male chicken, but the subsequent sequence is not entirely satisfactory.

Almost every character has a gun in their hands, and the shooting scenes don’t add much to the narrative.

Also, the eventual fate of this adult male chicken goes out of the window. The director should have clarified this.

However, Abhimanyu Tadimeti does deserve credit for setting up a good base for part 3.

Priya Mani is once again spot-on in the title role. She portrays the mental strength of Anupama with absolute finesse.

Priya Mani is seen doing some action, and the actor excels in that, too.

Sharanya Pradeep raises many chuckles, particularly in the scenes where Shilpa has to cook solo.

Bramhaji, as the driving instructor, has a brief presence, but he is an absolute riot.

The rest of the actors are fine in their respective parts.

Final take

Bhamakalapam 2 makes the viewers eager for the third part.

It is streaming on Aha Video.

Custody: A Competent Cop Drama That Keeps The Viewers Invested In Spite Of Its Shortcomings

Venkat Prabhu’s latest directorial takes time to find its feet but eventually gets better as the plot becomes thicker.

Watch it for Aravind Swami and Naga Chaitanya!
Custody (Telugu)
  • Cast: Naga Chaitanya Akkineni, Krithi Shetty, Arvind Swami, Priya Mani, Sarath Kumar, Sampath Raj, Premji Amaren, Vennela Kishore, and Premi Vishwanath
  • Writer-Director: Venkat Prabhu
  • Producer: Srinivasaa Chitturi
  • Music: Ilaiyaraaja and Yuvan Shankar Raja
  • Runtime2 hours 28 minutes

Cop dramas usually have a superhero cop who takes on an army of villains and vigilante justice is delivered. Venkat Prabhu’s Custody belongs to a slightly different space.

Here, Naga Chaitanya’s Shiva has the duty of protecting a goonda (criminal) and making sure that he is produced before the court, without any harm.

Another factor that makes Custody different from other movies of the same genre is the fact that Shiva is a constable, not a higher official. There is an underdog quality about him that makes him endearing.

Synopsis

The movie is set in the 1990s. Its opening shot is a terrible incident where 40 people die in a small town due to a gas cylinder blast. After that, we cut to the constable Shiva.

Shiva is someone who believes that human life is more important than anything else. This is wonderfully established when he rushes to stop the convoy of the Chief Minister (Priya Mani) so that an ambulance can pass.

Revathi (Krithi Shetty) is Shiva’s love interest. They both have a steady relationship for a while but there are some serious obstacles from her parents’ side.

Things take a turn with a car accident when Shiva is on the way to her house to save her from a forced marriage.

After the accident, two men are seen fighting – one is Raju (Aravind Swami) and the other is a CBI official George (Sampath Raj). Shiva ends up arresting both.

On reaching the police station, Shiva learns the true identity of Raju, a well-connected goonda with political backing. He needs to be produced at the Bangalore court in the next 24 hours to testify against some influential people.

Meanwhile, there is an assassination attempt to kill Raju before he reaches court. Shiva makes sure that the assassination attempt is not successful.

He and George escape from the police station with Raju. But IG Natraj (Sarathkumar) is hell-bent on making sure that Raju doesn’t reach the Bangalore court.

Adding to the mayhem, Revathi escapes from her house by making her prospective groom (Vennela Kishore) a bakra.

The rest of the story deals with whether Shiva is successful or not in producing Raju before the court and what happens to him and Revathi later.

Shortcomings & best moments

Custody begins engagingly. As viewers, we instantly connect with Shiva’s honesty and want him to succeed in whatever he does.

But things go haywire with the addition of the love story and also an irritating comedy track featuring Vennala Kishore.

The songs also come as major speed breakers, which is surprising, given that it is the first time that the father-son duo of Ilaiyaraaja and Yuvun Shankar Raja have worked together.

It is a step down from Ilaiyaraaja after a soulful soundtrack in Krishna Vamsi’s Rangamarthanda (2023).

Nevertheless, the plot becomes more engaging with the entry of Aravind Swami. The action set piece in the police station is wonderfully staged. Here, it has to be mentioned that, the background score is much better than the songs.

The cat-and-mouse chase involving Natraj, Raju and Shiva gives the film some of its best moments.

Another action stretch that deserves a mention is the pre-interval block involving an underwater sequence.

We see an unlikely bond developing between Shiva and Raju through the journey. This has been well-etched by Venkat Prabhu.

Impressive show by actors

Aravind Swami does a wonderful job in making sure that Raju, despite being a goonda, comes across as endearing. He also brings in some dry humour that raises many chuckles.

Much like in Sekhar Kammula’s Love Story (2021), here too, Naga Chaitanya plays an underdog and delivers a wonderful performance.

He does justice to the arc of the character which goes from a happy-go-lucky guy in the flashback to a determined young man in the present.

Krithi Shetty alternates between a typically chirpy heroine and a serious woman. She does it quite well in spite of the romantic track coming across as a hurdle.

Sarathkumar as Natraj makes for a formidable opposition.

Final take

Watch Custody for the performances of Naga Chaitanya and Aravind Swami along with some thrills.

Virata Parvam: A Tragic Love In The Time Of Revolution

Venu Udulgula’s Virata Parvam has created a lot of buzz for two reasons. Along with the star cast comprising of Sai Pallavi and Rana Dagubbati, the real life story that it is based on has also added to the hype. Earlier also you have had films with the backdrop of naxalism but here you have a love story at its core. The film’s title is taken from a chapter in Mahabharata where the Pandavas had gone into exile.

The story of Virata Parvam is set in the period when the naxalite movement was at its peak. Vennela (Sai Pallavi) belongs to an oppressed caste. Vennela is heavily inspired by the revolutionary poetry written by a famous naxalite Ravanna (Rana Dagubbati). Without even meeting Ravanna Vennela falls in love with him. Vennela is so infatuated with him that she even leaves her home. She makes several attempts to meet him. In a big turn of events her path finally crosses with that of Ravanna. The rest of the story is – whether Ravanna accepts her love? What problems Vennela faced in her journey? And most importantly what happens to her at the end.

DIRECTOR VENU UDUGULA WASTES NO TIME IN SETTING UP THE CHARACTER OF VENNELA AND ALSO HER FASCINATION WITH THE POETRY OF RAVANNA.

Director Venu Udugula wastes no time in setting up the character of Vennela and also her fascination with the poetry of Ravanna in the beginning itself. But the big issue with the first half is it is difficult to buy the love that Vennela has for Ravanna. The director puts a spin of Krishna and Meera bai but it doesn’t make much sense. It is a theory which is difficult to buy in the scenario of this film.

The attempts of Vennela in reaching Ravanna take up most of the first half, as a result the audience start feeling restless. The story becomes stagnant with nothing much happening.

The film finally picks up pace when Vennela and Ravanna have a face to face conversation just before the interval. From here on the drama becomes more engaging.

A scene which deserves particular mention is the conversation between Sai Chand and Sai Pallavi. Sai Chand is once again the eternal father after Kondapolam and Fida. Sai Pallavi’s expression after the dialogue of Sai Chand is something that stays with you.
Another impactful scene worth mentioning is the one between Rana and Zarina Wahab playing Rana’s mother. Ravanna avoided seeing his mother for a long time but he finally gives in because of Vennela. The poem that he recites is sure to make the audiences emotional.

TECHNICALLY THE DIRECTOR DOES A GOOD JOB IN RECREATING THAT PERIOD. THE CINEMATOGRAPHY AND THE ART DESIGN DESERVE PARTICULAR MENTION.

Technically the director does a good job in recreating that period. The cinematography and the art design deserve particular mention. But the editing definitely needed to be far tighter. Instead of two and half hours the film could have easily been just two hours.
Needless to say that Sai Pallavi is the star of Virata Parvam, as Vennela she perfectly captures the innocence and also the adamant nature. It is a role which is very much up her ally and the actress doesn’t disappoint.

RANA’S RAVANNA WORKS AS A PERFECT COUNTERPART TO VENNELA. HE INITIALLY COMES ACROSS AS A VERY STOIC PERSON BUT AS YOU GO ALONG DIFFERENT LAYERS COME OUT.

Rana’s Ravanna works as a perfect counterpart to Vennela. He initially comes across as a very stoic person but as you go along different layers come out. The actor lets Sai Pallavi hog the limelight but he also makes his presence amply felt.

Nandita Das, Priyamani and Naveen Chandra are impressive in their parts but no one is very memorable.

In a nutshell Virata Parvam doesn’t quite turn out to be the epic love story that it promised, but nevertheless the emotional second half makes it worth watching.

Bhamakalapam: An Engaging Thriller

Abhimanyu Tadimeti’s Bhamakalapam is an interesting mix of ingredients such as crime, greed and religion. The director pivots his plot on a Faberge egg that is worth 200 cores. This valuable egg has been stolen and later on gets lost again. Apart from making an engrossing thriller the director also makes a statement on how to find god within. The underlying message here is that not to be misled by anyone who uses religion as a weapon. The film also benefits from Priyamani’s spot on performance.

Bhamakalapam begins with an incident that is eerily similar to 2018’s Andhadhun. Instead of the Rabbit you have a lamb that crosses the path and the car meets with an accident. This of course leads to many things. However the similarities with Andhadhun end here. Anupama Mohan (Priyamani) is a homemaker and also a well known Youtuber. She is famous for her videos on cooking.

But Anupama is more than just a YouTuber, she also keeps an eye on what is happening in neighborhood. You can say that Anupama is her ‘apartments Sherlock Homes’. We get evidence of this early on when she tries to expose the extramarital affair of her neighbour. Her detective work backfires and she is thoroughly embarrassed by her apartment people. She also promises her husband that she wouldn’t peek out of the window again; however fate has different plans for her.

Other important members of the apartment include a pastor who is waiting for divine events to happen. There is also a woman called Saira who is a survivor of domestic abuse. Sharanya of Fida fame plays the domestic help of Anupama called Shilpa.

The biggest reason why Bhamakalapam works is due to the intrigue that the director is able to maintain. He builds up the mystery around the egg really well.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/sbrrlQzaezY?feature=oembed Another major highlight of the film is the scenes between Priyamani and Sharanya. Their scenes are filled with comedy and also tension. The duo is particularly good when the characters become unwilling partners in crime.

The religious aspect is also brought out well by Abhimanyu. The theme of certain men misleading people by using religion isn’t really particularly new but the message is still an important one.

The cinematography by Viplav Nyshadam and music by Justin Prabhakaran also add to the comic thriller mood. For example there is a scene where Anupama finds herself dragged into a situation wishing that she had never taken that step. The sound of the violin has been very well used.

Priyamani as I earlier said is spot on with her performance. She gets the nuances of the character spot on starting from Anupama’s inquisitiveness. Saranya as Shilpa is another ace in the story. The actress is good in both the comic bits and also the ones where she needs to show tension. The rest of the cast are appropriate in their respective roles.

Bhamakalapam is an interesting experiment that deserves to be seen.