Tag: Little Hearts

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The rise of Little Hearts beauty Shivani Nagaram:

An overview into how Shivani has chosen interesting roles within the girl next door parts and has found success especially in the context of Telugu girls entering film industry

In the era of importing heroines from either north or southern states it isn’t easy to find local talents as leading ladies. Thankfully this has changed in the last few years with both established and new production houses. Shivani Nagaram is a good example of this refreshing change apart from Vaishnavi in Baby and Sridevi Appala in Court etc. For someone with no particular interest in acting by her own admission and a rank outsider Shivani has had a solid journey so far. Of course, the backing of Bunny Vasu and Vamsi Nandipati has a big hand too. Having said that Shivani has chosen interesting roles as well especially with Little Hearts and Hey Balwanth. There is strongness to these women in terms of the decisions they make.

For example, in Little Hearts Kathyayini quietly takes charge of the both the relationship and career. The portions of Kathyayini saying that we will make the long-distance relationship work and then convincing her parents on what she wants to pursue are solid examples of this. In Hey Balwanth too there is a good trajectory from having a perception about women in a certain kind of business and then the eventual realization. At the end the character Mithra accepts the hero with his family business.

Before getting into the three films it’s necessary to talk about the mini web series Mr Girlfriend. It’s still there in Youtube with nine episodes: as the title suggests the story is mainly anchored on Shivani Nagaram’s Madhumita. The story has a few similarities to late Uday Kiran’s Manasantha Nuvve but the web series is very much its own beast.

Shivani’s role has different shades whether it’s being an authoritative boss: emotions of jealousy when seeing her childhood sweetheart with another female, a certain anger too on how he had treated her in childhood and at the same time love. Shivani did a very fine job in pulling off the different shades. She particularly shined in the sequences of jealousy as well as well as an emotional bit explaining the tough behaviour. However, the highlight episode is when Shivani switches into a Telangana dialect with perfection. The dialogue delivery coupled with the lines makes it very entertaining.

Shivani’s first movie Ambajipetta Marriage band was an intense drama dealing with the theme of caste and the fight for self-respect among others. Shivani played the role of Lakshmi, a sister of a feudalistic man. The role comes with multiple shades whether it’s the playfulness in the saloon portions or the dramatic bits in the latter part. The breakup sequence in particular was job very well done by Shivani. In the sad version of Gumma there is a portion where she communicates with just the eyes and the young actress did an excellent job. In fact, of one of Shivani’s biggest strengths is expressing emotions through body language. This is very apparent in both Little Hearts and the latest Hey Balwanth as well.

In little Hearts there is a sequence with the on-screen father SS Kanchi taking away the phone, this is before the Kathyayini song. Mouli’s Akhil says that he has a surprise for her birthday that particular night. Shivani’s portrayal of anxiety through body gestures was absolutely solid. Mention must also be made of the sequence where Mouli’s Akhil asks are you aunty. The instant change in body language as she widens her eyebrows in anger is another perfect example of this.

In Hey Balwanth’s interval stretch Mithra goes through major shock. She takes great pride in belonging to an orthodox family. But this firm belief is challenged when her grandfather is found in lodge post an act of sex. It’s a double jolt, one the previous revelation of what her boyfriend’s father runs and now this. The emotion of shock was superbly done without any big dialogues. Even the tension of Mithra when she lands up at lodge fully knowing what happens there was wonderfully portrayed by Shivani. In both these scenes the reliance is on expressing through facial expressions rather than big dialogues.

Apart from acting Shivani has also sung songs in a couple of movies in fact she comes from a family which is musically trained. Her singing debut happened with music director and childhood friend Sinjit Yeramalli. The song name is Amaayakanga from the film Aarambham. She was also musically involved in the smash hit little hearts apart from acting.

Shivani is also a trained Kuchipudi dancer who has given stage shows too. However there hasn’t been much scope for dancing so far in the three films.

Shivani Nagaram has a vibrant and level-headed personality and that clearly reflects in the interviews. There is a clear intent to experiment with different genres in the upcoming films. Here’s hoping that the actress has a long career with good body of work. It would be nice to see the actress in a full-fledged dance film especially given her background.

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Rewind 2025: Looking at films through gender, caste lens

This is an overview of Hindi, Telugu and a few Tamil and Malayalam movies, released in 2025, with gender and caste sensibilities.

Synopsis: Caste and gender-based plots are not alien to Tamil and Malayalam movies. The year 2025 saw Hindi and Telugu movie industries, too, realistically portraying caste and gender issues that we come across in present-day life. While some movies explicitly presented the issues, others were covert, often delegated to subplots. Though women were mainly used as props — to fall in love with the male protagonist — a few movies had women-centric narratives. There were female superheroes, too, in ‘Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra’ (Malayalam) and ‘Thamma’ (Hindi). Overall, the year promised better, more realistic cinema in future.

Caste-based storylines are not new in Tamil and Malayalam cinema. Surprisingly, cinemas in 2025 saw strong caste sensibilities reflected in Hindi and Telugu also. Dhadak 2, Homebound, Phule, Court, Uppu Kappurambu and 23 Iravai Moodu are some examples.

In Uppu Kappurambu, the caste angle is farcically comic, while other movies treat it seriously,  apart from raising pertinent questions. They make the viewers ponder caste inequalities, which exist years after the country gained independence.

In ‘serious films’ like Homebound, Phule and Dhadak 2, the caste, gender and religious discriminations are explicit, but in ‘slice of life’ and ‘light-hearted entertainers’ — such as Little Hearts (Telugu) and Aap Jaisa Koi (Hindi) —  they are obliquely presented.

Little Hearts is essentially a teenage romcom with an interesting plot. A laudable twist in the movie is when the female protagonist, Akula Khathyayani (played by Shivani Nagaram), displays her underlying strength while standing up for her love and career choice.

In Aap Jaisa Koi, director Vivek Soni looks at society’s double standards in dealing with women’s desires in an arranged marriage set up. Finding the female perspective in these films is more challenging. One has to go beyond the first look to see the gender dimension.

Sadly, in the increasing age of pan-Indian cinema, strong female characters are few and far between, as female leads are mostly used as either damsels in distress or glam dolls. The sexual gaze in films like Devara and War 2 is apparent.

In Devara, Janhvi Kapoor’s character Thangam’s role is to lust after the hero. In War 2, Wing Commander Kavya Luthra (Kiara Advani) is supposed to be a tough soldier, but her role’s highlight turned out in a bikini.

Even in the latest blockbuster, Dhurandhar, the college-going heroine, Yalina Jamali (Sara Arjun), does nothing other than fall for the hero. Seeing all these movies, one is tempted to say that smaller films have more gender sensibilities.

Earlier, the assumption was that gender and caste sensitivities were strictly confined to ‘arthouse’ movies because the politics presented were stark and in your face. However, this scenario has changed with some mainstream movies also questioning the oppressive practices regarding caste and women.

The emergence of new voices, both behind and in front of the camera, makes this scenario more refreshing. For instance, movies like Court, Dhadak 2 and Little Hearts have debutant directors. Similarly, the casts of these movies don’t always boast of big names. This trend is good for the industry it could present more novel stories.

Following is a peek into the movies that have both caste and gender, either separately or together.

Serious films

Shazia Iqbal’s Dhadak 2 (Hindi), a remake of the Tamil film Pariyerum Perumal, presents a solid combination of caste and gender. Dhadak-2 primarily focuses on the evolution of Neelesh ‘Neel’ Ahirwar (Siddhant Chaturvedi), a timid young man, growing up to one fighting for self-respect.

Through Neel, the film depicts latter-day caste discrimination, whether it is in a city or a rural setting. The import of caste is apparent in the constant jibes, including on the reservation, fired at Neelesh. He bears the insults for long, but his character undergoes a change by the middle of the second half, and he is forced to stand up against those taunting him.

Tripti Dimri’s Vidhi Bharadwaj, on the other hand, is an upper-caste Brahmin, more privileged than Neelesh, but has her own battles to fight. Her biggest battle involves a truly despicable cousin, Ronnie Bharadwaj (Saad Bilgrami). He believes that Vidhi is bringing dishonour to the family by falling in love with a Dalit.

Ronnie comes with a huge sense of entitlement. One of the standout scenes in Dhadak 2 is Vidhi’s showdown with Ronnie. She tears into his patriarchal mindset. In her journey with Neelesh, Vidhi also becomes more aware of the caste realities, making their romantic relationship a political rebellion.

Neeraj Ghaywan’s sophomore feature Homebound (Hindi) is a highly impactful film. Shortlisted for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards, it makes the viewers contemplate the everyday struggles of the marginalised — in this case, a Dalit and a Muslim.

The movie has many scenes depicting the main characters getting taunted over their religion and caste, all of which are familiar, but most Indians prefer to ignore them without responding. Vishal Jetwa’s Chandan Kumar Valmiki tries to hide his caste identity till the movie’s end. His caste identity is revealed only after his death.

Homebound also features a couple of strong women. Sudha Bharti (Janhvi Kapoor), as a more empowered Dalit, has striking dialogues when she talks about Ambedkar’s philosophy of education, organisation and agitation.

In one scene with Chandan, she encourages him to complete his education, which will help him overcome the caste barriers. Chandan’s sister, Vaishali (Harshika Parmar), has a brief but important role. There is strength to the character, especially when she reminds her brother about why she couldn’t attend college like him.

Anant Narayan Mahadevan’s Phule (Hindi) is another movie that blends caste with gender. The movie is a biopic about two social revolutionaries, Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule.

The husband and wife duo fought relentlessly for girls’ education and against the horrific caste discrimination. Jyotiba (portrayed in the biopic by Pratik Gandhi) himself went against his family by educating his wife.

One of the standout scenes in Phule involves Patralekha’s Savitribai holding her ground when threatened by a man from a ‘dominant’ caste. Throughout the movie, Savitribai is presented as an equal to her husband, even involved in more social work than him.

At every step, Jyotiba acknowledges his wife’s contribution, making Phule a solid tale of companionship.

23 Iravai Moodu (Telugu), directed by Raj Rachakonda, is about two poverty-ridden lower-caste men trying to rob a group of bus passengers. In an unfortunate turn of events, the bus catches fire, killing 23 people.

The actions of these two men are horrible, and the movie does not absolve them of their wrongdoings. But at the same time, there are intentional crimes committed by men of higher social strata.

However, they don’t toil in jail like these two men because of their standing in the social hierarchy. Even in jail, some of the works assigned to these two men reflect their caste.

The gender angle is represented with the female character Suseela, played by Tanmai. Suseela is facing the stigma of becoming a mother before marriage. Despite the numerous difficulties, there is an inner strength to the character. Suseela manages to make a living while fighting her own battles.

Ram Jagadeesh’s Court (Telugu) looks at the misuse of the POCSO Act through a teenage love story. Caste is an important part of the movie, but is not directly implied.

However, in two scenes, viewers get an idea of the hero’s caste background. The character Mangapathi (Shivaji) holds a mirror to numerous family patriarchs with a false sense of honour regarding young women. The defeat of a despicable man like him, both a casteist and misogynist, feels satisfying.

Santosh (Hindi), written and directed by Sandhya Suri, mixes caste with gender in an excellent manner. The story is about Santosh Saini, a widowed housewife-turned-police constable. Sandhya has added the systematic oppression of the Dalit community through a khap panchayat in the movie, which has been banned in India.

An important part of Santosh — banned in India — is the friendship between two women, a constable and an officer. Their scenes together have given the movie some of its best moments.

Mari Selvaraj’s Bison Kaalamaadan (Tamil) is based on the life of legendary kabaddi player Manti P Ganesan, nicknamed Bison. The film is a rousing tale of breaking numerous societal shackles.

A predominant barrier is caste. The caste name is not exactly specified, but we can easily make out that Dhruv Vikram’s ‘Vanaththi’ Kittan belongs to the marginalised section. Some of the conversations and also the obstacles he faces reflect his caste background.

The film also has a brief gender angle involving Anupama Parameswaran’s Raani. Raani is seven years older than the hero, but is clear about marrying him. This, too, came out in an impactful manner, especially in the temple sequence with Raani defying her brother.

Women-centric narratives

Rahul Ravindran’s The Girlfriend (Telugu) is a well-made feminist story questioning toxic masculinity. The movie focuses on a young woman’s battle to leave a dominating relationship.

Rahul, who has also written the story, does a smart job in using the Arjun Reddy (Dir: Sandeep Reddy Vanga, 2017) space but from a female perspective.

Unlike Shalini Pandey in Arjun Reddy, Rashmika Mandanna’s Bhooma Devi doesn’t remain a passive partner, but grows into an assertive woman, amply revealed in the break-up scene showing her perspective on why she doesn’t want a guy like Vikram alias Vicky (Dheekshith Shetty). The Ma Durga symbolism in the climax, with Rashmika letting it all out, represents the female rage.

Suparn Verma’s Haq (Hindi) is a gripping tale of perseverance and battle for one’s rights. It is inspired by the landmark 1985 Shah Bano case. The Supreme Court judgement reshaped the concept of legal rights for divorced Muslim women.

The movie is about society conveniently normalising abuse and twisting laws to silence women. The core theme of Haq is wonderfully captured in an important conversation between Yami Gautam’s Shazia Bano and her husband’s second wife, Saira Jahan (Vartika Singh).

It goes like this: “Kabhi kabhi mohabbat kafi nahi hoti, izzat bhi zaruri hoti hai” (Sometimes love isn’t enough, respect is also necessary). The statement sums up the battle of both the real and fictional Shah Bano.

Aarti Kadav’s remake of the acclaimed Malayalam movie, The Great Indian Kitchen, as Mrs (Hindi) is shinier but projects the same issues. A housewife’s daily grind is the movie’s central theme. Sanya Malhotra’s Richa Sharma wants to do something with her life, but is caught in a depressing cycle of feeding her husband and father-in-law.

Richa’s routine almost wears her down, but in a crucial turn of events, she decides to take matters into her hands. Richa’s graph — from a lively young girl to almost succumbing to patriarchy — is both well-written and portrayed.

Songs of Paradise (Hindi) by Danish Rezu is a relevant take on the resilience and rebellion against social norms. Through the tale of Kashmir’s first female singer, Padma Shri Raj Begum, the movie focuses on pursuing one’s interests without giving in to societal oppression.

The film does a fine job of celebrating the singer’s defiance. One of the most impactful dialogues in Songs of Paradise involves Saba Azad (as young Zeba Akhtar/Noor Begum) and a male character.

The dialogue, relatable to most Indian women, goes, “You’re a man; you look for an opportunity to showcase your talent. We, women, seek excuses to pursue our hobbies.”

Praveen Kandregula directed two important women-sensitive stories in Telugu, viz., Paradha and Subham. Paradha is a social drama, questioning archaic traditions along with the depiction of a strong bond of sisterhood between the three main characters. It also delves into how women should be more open-minded and inclusive.

Subham is a whacky ride filled with laughs and a strong feminist message. Critiquing the regressive content of TV serials and the alpha male concept is Shubham’s main theme.

The ultimate message of Subham is understanding and empathising with the women in our lives. The film doesn’t shy away from taking digs at the presentation of our mainstream protagonists through an important scene of the three women questioning the serial hero on his clichéd perception of women.

Bad Girl (Tamil), directed by Varsha Bharath, is a well-made coming-of-age story from a female perspective. It shows the process a young, freedom-yearning woman, Ramya (Anjali Sivaraman), from an orthodox family, undergoes to find liberation through a series of bad relationships.

Anjali does a good job in showcasing the emotional journey of the titular protagonist — how she grapples with societal expectations, personal aspirations and of course, her romantic relationships.

Another highlight of Bad Girl is the track of the mother and daughter. Through this subplot, the movie delves into generational differences. The ups and downs of heated arguments are relatable for many modern young women. The celebration of female friendships also enriched the movie.

Janaki V v/s State of Kerala (Malayalam), directed by Pravin Narayan, is about a woman exercising her right over her body. It is about a sexual assault survivor’s choice of keeping the baby or opting for abortion. The movie questions the failure of the state and the law in supporting the fundamental rights of a sexual assault survivor.

It does a fair job in portraying the emotional trauma faced by Anupama Parameswaran’s Janaki Vidhyadharan, both from the assault and the legal system. Pertinent points are raised about protecting fundamental rights.

Chhorii 2 (Hindi), directed by Vishal Furia, features a mother’s fight against a dangerous cult. More than the paranormal entities, the ghost here is patriarchal, justified in the name of tradition.

An important aspect of Chhorii 2 is the imagery of a narrow tunnel. This tunnel becomes an allegory for the representation of social structures suffocating multiple generations of women.

A Mention must also be made about the director’s use of  Soha Ali Khan as Daasi Maa. She is both a villain and a victim. It is very satisfying to see Daasi Ma joining hands with the protagonist (Nushrratt Bharuccha’s Sakshi). The two women standing together against the patriarchal cult is a powerful symbol of female power.

Jayant Digambar Somalkar’s Marathi movie Sthal is a strong critique of forced arranged marriages, where a girl is treated as a commodity. Unlike using the usual arranged marriage setup as a prelude to romance, this film reflects how families consider a girl as a financial burden, who must be “packed off” at the earliest.

The irony here is the juxtaposition of Savitribai Phule’s birth anniversary with the ritual of the female protagonist getting decked up as a doll. The movie ends on a powerful note with the girl standing up and breaking the fourth wall like the other impactful Marathi movie, Fandry.

Chandu Mondeti’s Thandel (Telugu) draws inspiration from a real-life incident involving a group of Indian fishermen. The film features a strong female protagonist, Sathya (Sai Pallavi). In the second half, she becomes an important pillar of support for the fishing community.

There is a deep strength in the way Sathya combats her inner dilemmas while at the same time doing her best to free the men from a Pakistani jail. She succeeds in making sure that the households don’t go hungry. At one point, Sathya is also called Thandel Rani. She is someone who is seen as a leader in her own right rather than just being a love interest of Naga Chaitanya’s Raju.

Light-hearted and slice of life 

On the surface, Anil I.V. Sasi’s Uppu Kappurambu (Telugu) looks like a farcical comedy, but in essence, it is about a woman sarpanch, Apoorva (Keerthy Suresh), finding her feet.

The very thought of a woman sarpanch frustrates the dominant caste. As the story progresses, Apoorva transforms from naïve and under-confident to eventually taking things head-on.

The caste politics come from a lack of space in a graveyard. There are scenes of two dominant castes fighting for more space based on lineage.

Little Hearts (Telugu), directed and written by Sai Marthand, revolves around two not-so-bright students and their coming of age. The movie has some important passages, elevating it from just being a fun ride.

One of these includes the agency given to Shivani Nagaram’s Akula Khathyayani in the movie’s latter half. Even the interval point with Kathyayani slapping Nalli Akhil Kumar (Mouli Tanuj Prasanth) as he addresses her as ‘aunty’ is a reflection of her strong-willed nature.

There is an understated strength to her character. This reflects in her taking charge of the relationship and quietly assuming responsibility to work it out. All this combined makes her hard as steel, as Akhil comments in the end. The age gap of three years, with the heroine being older than the hero, also makes Little Hearts an unconventional love story.

Anupam Kher’s second directorial venture, Tanvi the Great (Hindi), is an important tale of inclusivity with a strong female lead. Shubhangi Dutt’s Tanvi suffers from autism, but her passion for joining the army makes her overcome the challenges.

The movie’s core theme is perseverance and fighting against all odds. In spite of some unbelievable leaps, the viewers root for her.

Aap Jaisa Koi (Hindi), directed by Vivek Soni, is a feminist movie under the guise of a romantic comedy. The director used a familiar arranged marriage setup to deliver stinging lessons on patriarchy, especially on the society’s double standards on women’s desires and sexuality.

The most important subplot is connected to Kusum Tripathi (Ayesha Raza), an emotionally neglected housewife. She is often a victim of casual sexism. How the character breaks out of conventions by following her heart is a major highlight.

Anurag Basu’s Metro… In Dino (Hindi) features an important subplot with Neena Gupta’s Shibani Ghosh breaking out of a self-imposed rut in her twilight years. The movie gives an empowering message to women of taking life into their hands. The same can be seen in Konkana Sen Sharma’s Kajal Ghosh Sisodiya, also. Her strong attitude comes out well in dealing with her husband’s infidelity.

In 3 BHK Flat (Tamil), Meera Raghunath’s Aarti Vasudevan puts up with an unhappy marriage for a long time. But she never shares her woes with her family to avoid burdening them. However, a particular incident makes her snap, and she breaks out of it.

There is a poignant dialogue where Aarthi asks ‘Is abuse just physical?’ going beyond the traditional definition. How Aarti starts life afresh is inspiring for numerous women who go through marital abuse but may not have the strength to come out of it.

Mythical/Folklore

Both Dominic Arun’s Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra (Malayalam) and Aditya Sarpotdar’s Thamma (Hindi) feature mythical women defying the general trope of the knight in shining armour.

Both are women-centric superhero movies. While Lokah is a fantasy film dealing with real-world issues, Thamma is about a half-vampire/half-human breaking out of her tribe to fulfil her love.

In Lokah, Police Inspector Nachiyappa Gowda (Sandy) doesn’t like women with a modern outlook, and it is visible on more than one occasion. The female protagonist, representing a superwoman, Chandra aka Neeli (Kalyani Priyadarshan), takes on patriarchal structures while also standing up against an organ-trafficking racket.

Thamma, on the other hand, features a strong woman protagonist, Taraka/Tarika, portrayed by Rashmika Mandanna. Taraka is half-vampire and half-human. She goes against her tribe by following her heart. The character has a good mix of emotional vulnerability and ferociousness.

Oftentimes, it is Taraka who saves Ayushmann Khurrana’s Alok Goyal. This movie, for the most part, reverses the knight in shining armour trope.

A year ending on a strong footing

From the above-listed movies, we can see a growing trend of telling stories about different social realities: the new-age directors are taking up fresh themes, especially relating to caste and gender.

In these movies, the aspect of exercising choice comes out strongly. Also, the protagonists, whether it is the hero or heroine, are not rebels by design.

For example, in Paradha Anupama Parameswaran’s character, Subbalakshmi aka Subbu, does not make a statement about oppressive practices. She is a firm believer in traditions, but her perspective changes significantly due to her exposure to the outside world and her interactions with other women she comes across.

In Bison, too, the hero’s love for Kabaddi is what drives him to break the societal shackles. He was not born with a rebellious streak.

Another interesting aspect about these movies is the social milieu in which they are set. Small towns and rustic village atmosphere provide a fresh vibe. Apart from these movies having new-age actors, even the established commercial actors are experimenting with newer roles, like Janhvi Kapoor playing a Dalit in Homebound — and it is refreshing.

(Edited by Majnu Babu).

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Best of Telugu movies (2025): An all-round year for Nani and the storm of Little Hearts

An overview into some of the most impactful Telugu movies of the year irrespective of their box office results: also, the emergence of new actors who have made quite an impact with elements of caste and gender  

The year of 2025 like 2024 has belonged to small and medium budget films. A very distinctive feature among the successful films are the star casts featuring new kind of leading actors without the baggage of stardom. This is particularly true in the case of Court, Little Hearts and Mirai.

Court backed by popular actor Nani is an important social movie talking about the misuse of POCSO and also the caste structure. Director Ram Jagadeesh effectively used the set-up of a teenage love story to explore these topics. What also makes Court special is that the film is Ram Jagadeesh’s directorial debut.

Little Hearts written and directed by Sai Marthand is also a debut feature like the above mentioned Court. This too features a teenage love story but with a different social set up. The heroine in this movie Kathyayini (Shivani Nagaram) isn’t just 3 years older to the hero: she is also a strong-willed protagonist. This clearly comes out in the way of Kathyayini taking charge of the relationship. The interval point with her slapping Mouli’s Akhil when he asks are you aunty is another solid example of her strong-willed nature. Little Hearts is a perfect mix of coming of age with some adorable rom com moments.  Director Sai Marthand was thoroughly successful in entertaining the viewers. Not surprisingly the film turned out to be very profitable.

Kathyayini slapping Mouli’s Akhil as he asks whether she is aunty

Mirai directed by Kartik Gattameneni followed the template of Teja Sajja’s last Hanuman. Nevertheless, the movie was an engaging visual spectacle with strong back stories for the hero and the antagonist. Like Hanuman here too Teja Sajja pulled off the character’s transformation with ease. With Mirai Teja Sajja proved that he is here to stay. Manchu Manoj also shined in the negative role with a commanding voice.

Among the popular actors Nani had a double dhamaka both as an actor and producer. As an actor Nani hit it out of the park with the violent crime thriller Hit 3. The movie presented Nani in his most ferocious avatar till date, and he nailed the nailed the different shades.

Senior performer Venkatesh made a good comeback after the underwhelming Saindhav in 2024. Anil Ravipudi delivered a perfect Sankranti entertainer with an in form Venkatesh. As a man caught between his wife and ex girlfriend while handling an important task at hand Venkatesh raised many chuckles with his expressions and a wonderful sense of comic timing. Both Aishwarya Rajesh and Meenakshi Choudhary also added to the fun with their respective acts. A special mention though must be made of the child actor Bheemla Revanth Pavan Sai Subhash. He was simply boisterous with the OTT inspired curses. The child actor shared a wonderful chemistry with Venkatesh.

Another senior actor Nagarjuna had a solid year as well with two contrasting roles in Kuberra and Coolie. In Kuberra Nagarjuna played a conflicted CBI officer with panache, he brought out the inner dilemmas in an excellent manner. Coolie on the other hand saw Nagarjuna as an out out villain. He clearly had a blast playing an unhinged antagonist.

Among the actresses both Anupama Parameswaran and Rashmika Mandanna had strong roles in Paradha and The Girlfriend respectively. Both these movies feature women protagonists of a certain type. How the thought process changes and the eventual transformation is a delight to watch. In case of Paradha its about questioning archaic traditions. The Girlfriend on the other hand had one of the best climaxes in 2025 with Rashmika’s Bhooma letting it all out and a Maa Durga symbolism.

Following are some of the most impactful Telugu movies of the year

Court: Ram Jagadeesh’s Court is an important social drama led by an excellent cast. The movie threw light on a sensitive issue like misuse of POCSO. In today’s age of increasing macho heroes it was refreshing to see a story of two underdogs. In a way the film follows the template of Jolly LLB universe nevertheless Court is an engaging movie. A very important aspect of Court is its subtle depiction of caste hierarchies without spelling it loud. This comes out in two instances primarily. One is the heroes’ mother ironing clothes as a profession and the second one is Harshvardhan’s character saying to Priyadarshi on why he wants to save the protagonist, after all he is just a watchman’s son. The teenage love story featuring Harsh Rohan and Sridevi Appala has also had its highs especially the sequences of Premalo song. The performances led by a terrific Sivaji are an icing on the cake. Sivaji absolutely embodied the caste fanaticism and the misogynistic attitude. Priyadarshi as the underdog lawyer was good too with some important dialogues on how the judicial system needs to follow certain discretion. Both the young leads Harsh and Sridevi Appala did a fine job as well, but the former stood out in portraying the pain of a young man caught in a complex scenario.

Kuberra: Sekhar Kammula and Chaitanya Pingali’s Kuberra is easily the director’s most socio-political movie till date. Movies about financial scams aren’t new by any means but what makes the difference here is the integration of beggar’s community. Dhanush’s Deva is an underdog hero transforming into an unlikely champion. Through an underdog hero played by Dhanush the movie gives a relevant message on what true wealth means. It talks about how true wealth should help in improving people’s lives and not just hoarding riches.

Apart from a terrific Dhanush and Nagarjuna the integration of Rashmika’s Sameera was also well done. As a young woman caught in a major tussle Rashmika did a fine job in portraying the inner strength. Jim Sarbh too perfectly embodied the power-hungry capitalistic attitude with his demeanour. The movie also featured some impactful dialogues. They were often laced with philosophical undertones especially the scene of Rashmika where she talks about all of them being beggars in some way or other. The dialogue goes like this “I begged freedom from my parents. I begged my boyfriend to not break up with me. I begged my friend to let me stay at her place for a few days and now I’m begging people to give me a job. So all of us are beggars in some way or others, they are also dialogues critiquing capitalism in an impactful manner. The production design by Thota Tharani also played a crucial role in building an authentic atmosphere.

The Girlfriend: Rahul Ravindran’s The Girlfriend is a strong slap on toxic masculinity endorsed by the likes of Arjun Reddy and Animal. The movie focuses on the transformation of a timid woman Bhooma (an outstanding Rashmika Mandanna). How she goes from scared to a more assertive individual is a delight to watch in spite of a slow burn approach.

A lot of Bhooma’s suffocation is shown through symbolism and magic realism like the impactful interval sequence. Both the writing and Rashmika’s performance makes the viewers empathize with Bhooma’s struggles of wanting to break out.

The Girlfriend also has strong scenes of sisterhood. The scenes between Anu Emanuel and Rashmika though not a lot in number are a treat to watch, as Durga Anu brings in the required warmth especially in the sequence where she warns Bhooma about Dheekshith Shetty’s Vikram not being the right guy. As the controlling boyfriend Dheekshith Shetty was in top form too.

Little Hearts: Little Hearts directed by Sai Marthand is a fun coming of age tale with some good rom com moments. The movie features two protagonists who aren’t exactly the brightest bulbs when it comes to studies. The plot follows their journey from meeting at long distance coaching to a journey together. Akhil played by a wonderful Mouli is nursing the wounds of an intermediate break up when he meets Shivani Nagaram’s Kathyayini. What seems to be a temporary recourse develops into something deeper. A strong aspect of Little Hearts is the different process of love for the two protagonists. Unlike Akhil who gets instantly smitten by Kathyayini’s Ishqzaade hairstyle. She takes her own time in trusting the protagonist. Kathyayini comes with a very clear thought process of marrying whom she loves. Throughout the second half she comes across as a binding factor being a teacher/girlfriend as per the situation. The way she brings the change in Akhil without getting into a screechy mode like the wonderful bus sequence is a delight to watch. There is a moment in the bus when Akhil is about to abuse, and Kathyayini gives a hard look. She doesn’t say anything but it’s enough for Akhil to change his tone to more respectful. This is followed by a smile on Kathyayini face. Even when the matter gets serious at her home Kathyayini defends Akhil by saying that she proposed to him first which isn’t actually true. No wonder Akhil says he cannot leave her no matter what. Mouli absolutely nailed this important monologue elevating the movie from just a comedy. An important aspect of the pre climax more than standing for Akhil is the female autonomy with Kathyayini being the steering wheel of where the relationship is headed, this also reflects in the career choice later on. All this combined make her a steel rod and Shivani Nagaram did a very good job in bringing alive these qualities. What also added to the movie was Jai Krishna’s comic timing. His constant doubts about Akhil and Kathyayini’s love being doomed only to be proven wrong was terrific. The Bahubali parallels also came out well adding to the entertainment quotient. Among the senior actors both Rajeev Kanakala and SS Kanchi made their presence amply felt.

Thandel: Chandoo Mondeti’s Thandel is inspired from a real life incident involving a group of fishermen caught in Pakistani waters. The jingoism aspect coupled with the sketchy Pakistani characters did pull the movie down still the movie had a heartfelt love story. The director did a fine job in exploring the lives of fishermen bringing out a strong sense of brotherhood among the community. Thandel also benefitted from a strong technical department coupled with Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi’s strong acts. Devi Sri Prasad’s score boasted of melodious songs like “Bujji Thalli” and “Hilesso Hilessa”. As Raju and Satya Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi did a very good fine job in portraying the emotional complexities. Before Raju and his group drift into the Pakistani waters a major conflict arises between the couple threatening to destroy their relationship. These conflict points were handled well with the audiences understanding the dilemmas of both. The character of Sai Pallavi’s Sathya becomes an important anchor for the fishing community when Raju is stuck in Pakistan Jail. The strong inner strength is palpable in the way she takes things head on. This gender aspect also adds an interesting layer.

Andhra King Taluka: Mahesh Babu Pachigolla’s Andhra King Taluka is an engaging love letter relatable for numerous fans. Unlike Maneesh Sharma’s movie Fan this one does a much better job in using the emotional bond between a devotee and his favourite actor. A big strength of Andhra King Taluka is the climatic portion featuring heartfelt conversations between Ram’s Sagar and Upendra’s Surya. The positive influence of Surya on Sagar in overcoming anxiety issues and tackling challenges head on moves the audiences.

Ram Pothineni has always been a capable actor but the choices have always been a problem: But Andhra King Taluka showed the actor’s potential in an excellent manner. Ram delivered a knock out act especially the interval block. It is an emotionally charged moment and Ram did an excellent job. Upendra too lent in gravity as Sagar’s idol. The vulnerabilities of a major star came out well through his role. Upendra especially shined in the pre climax when Surya bares his soul out.  Andhra King Taluka makes for an engaging watch especially if you have been a diehard fan yourself.

Paradha &Subham: Praveen Kandregula’s Paradha and Subham are two very important women sensitive Telugu movies of the year. Paradha on one hand questioned the practice of archaic traditions through a fictional village. By using the veil as a symbolism Praveen Kandregula talked about the different kinds of obstacles faced by women. The movie also featured a strong sense of sisterhood among the three women protagonists in spite of the varied age gap and different social backgrounds. Anupama Parameswaran, Darshana and Sangeeta delivered powerful performances as well enhancing the narrative. Anupama was particularly good in bringing out the transformation from blind belief to becoming more liberated.

Subham on the other hand used the horror comedy format to question the stale nature of TV serials along with the concept of alpha male. A major highlight of Subham was the second husband played an excellent Gavireddy Srinivas. The actor generated a lot of humour as a proud alpha whose pride is massively hurt. The movie gave an important message on the necessity of communication in a marriage and understanding the women in your life rather than trying to be rough.

Anaganaga (ETV Win): Anaganga streaming on ETV Win has a simplistic core but an important message on the need to reinvent education system. The emotional drama featuring Sumanth and Viharsh as the son worked extremely well. How Viharsh’s character gradually gets over his stage fear and also academics gave some poignant moments.

The husband and wife arguments with Kajal Choudhary playing a strict principal were also well written. In spite of some major ideological differences between the two there are also understated romantic moments like Sumanth’s Vyas pacifying his wife. Later she too understands the husband’s point of view.

Director Sunny Sanjay also did a good job in showcasing the dark side of academic competition. You have a disturbing scene of class toppers awarded on the podium; on the other hand those who have failed are publically called out. The message regarding the need for empathy in education and how the race for top ranks is harmful in the long run came out in an impactful manner.

Uppu Kappurambu: Uppu Kappurambu on Amazon Prime is a whimsical social satire with an excellent Suhas. Director Ani. V Sasi flipped the popular Telugu poem on its head by saying that everyone is equally important.

The plot features a caste angle through what seems to be a bizarre fight over graveyard control. On the surface it may seem idiotic but the caste disparities with two influential families fighting it out is both funny and thought provoking.  Keerthy Suresh as a woman sarpanch takes a while to get going but the national award-winning actress soon settled down giving a very fine performance. Suhas as the graveyard caretaker Chinna was simply superb getting into the skin of the character with ease. He especially stood out in the scene when talking to the dead as if they are long lost friends.

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Little Hearts: A youthful love entertainer about two misfits

Little Hearts written and directed by Sai Marthand isn’t plot heavy. The story often plays out like a series of comic sketches: but the engaging screenplay coupled with the performances makes this a fun weekend watch. A strong aspect of Little Hearts is the subtle coming of age with the heroine standing up for her love

Starcast: Mouli Tanuj Prasanth, Shivani Nagaram, Rajeev Kanakala, Satya, S S Kanchi, Jai Krishna and others

Genre: Comedy/romance

Director and writer: Sai Marthand

Producer: Aditya Hasan

Production house: ETV Win

Cinematographer: Surya Balaji

Music: Sinjith Yerramilli

Running time: 2 hours and 8 minutes

Little Hearts is a film which perfectly fits the tag of a nonsensical but fun entertainer. Unlike the usual larger-than-life heroes with no flaws this is a movie which isn’t afraid to poke fun at the protagonist. In this case the hero and the heroine aren’t the brightest bulbs, they are equally dimwits when it comes to studies. Sai Marthand who has written and directed Little Hearts does a fine job in creating a fun love story with all social media and pop culture references. The love story has a hilarious connection to the Bahubali films which I will get to later. Producer Aditya Hasan who is only one web series old needs to be applauded for backing this up.

Mouli Tanuj Prasanth and Shivani Nagaram

The storyline of Little Hearts primarily revolves around Akhil (Mouli Tanuj Prasanth) and Shivani Nagaram’s Khatyayini. Both of them fail in clearing their respective subjects and are compelled to undertake long-term coaching due to their respective fathers. Akhil has just gone through a bitter break up with his intermediate sweetheart. Initially his attraction towards Khatyayini feels like a temporary recourse but things take a serious turn with both falling in love head over heels. This is the story in brief.

A strong aspect of Little Heats is the entertainment quotient. Special mention must be made of the scenes featuring Mouli and Jai Krishna a fellow wastrel. The banter between them coupled with Jai Krishna’s constant predictions on how Akhil’s love is domed only to be proven wrong raises many chuckles. His disbelief on how Khatyayini falls for Akhil and vice versa is hilarious to say the least. A specific mention must be made of the portion where Jai Krishna does a translation of Khatyayini words thinking that she has broken up with Akhil only to fall flat on his face.

The love story of the leads has a constant comparison to the journey of Bahubali films. The initial mixed reactions of Bahubali one is compared with their romance. The assumption is neither their romance nor the film will soar. The cultimation of Bahubali journey with the second part becoming a massive blockbuster as well as Akhil and Kathyayini’s love story has been wonderfully connected.

Little Hearts also works because of the self-aware tone, the flaws of both the hero and the heroine with their quirks have been well written and enacted. Towards the middle of the second half the movie slips into a coming age of territory. Both the hero and the heroine decide that they had enough of engineering and medicine respectively. They decide to do something else with their future.

Sai Marthnand gives some agency to Kathyayini in the way she stands up for her love. The dialogue of Akhil on why Kathyayini is worth fighting for gives the movie some emotional heft. In this scene Akhil openly talks about his flaws making the protagonist relatable.

The music composed by Sinjith Yerramilli is funky going well with the movie’s tonality. A specific mention must be made of the humorous conversational song where the leads are seen missing each other deeply. There is also an amateur musical video sung and edited by Akhil as a surprise birthday gift for Kathyayini. This video coming at important junctures is another high point of the movie. The cinematography of Surya Balaji is also fair perfectly capturing the vibrant atmosphere.

Both Mouli and Shivani Nagaram perfectly fit the parts of bumbling youths coming of age. They embrace the quirky tone matching each other making the romance believable. Rajeev Kanakala as Akhil’s extremely worried father also does well bringing in a certain seriousness. His reaction to Akhil’s musical video is especially worth mentioning.

S S Kanchi as Kathyayini’s father also raises some chuckles particularly in the post interval portions. The rest of the cast add to the quirky scenarios with their wonderful acting.

Final word: Little Hearts is small scale but high on entertainment value. This deserves a theatre watch,