At the half-year mark, a handful of films claim their spot in the sun. 2018 got off to a shaky start with some big films biting the dust and a few small ones gradually building the tempo. Chalo, Bhaagamathie, Awe and Tholiprema held their own, but the big releases that gave the Telugu industry and the audience plenty to savour were Rangasthalam, Bharat Ane Nenu and Mahanati . These films also witnessed bravura performances, presenting hitherto unknown side of a few actors who raised the bar and quietened naysayers.
Mahanati
The audience is not yet done gushing over this biopic . Director Nag Ashwin’s labour of love is bringing both the old (there was no surprise here, a biopic on Savitri is bound to stoke nostalgia and bring elders back to cinema halls) and the young — the film is serving as an introduction of the bygone era to those who may not know much about Telugu/Tamil films of yore. Among all the things the film is being appreciated for — impeccable production design, costumes, cinematography, background score and music, spot-on casting... the one who’s shining all the way is Keerthy Suresh with a winsome performance. Never before have we seen her so involved on screen. It also helped that she had an uncanny resemblance to the late actor in the later portions of the film, with some assistance from prosthetics and makeup.
Rangasthalam
Director Sukumar’s film was a throwback to the 80s. Tamil cinema had the critically-acclaimed and commercially successful Subramaniapuram (2008), recreating Madurai of the 80s and narrating a tale of friendship, politics, crime and romance. Back then, filmmakers here rued that Telugu cinema doesn’t venture down such an offbeat route. A decade later, Rangasthalam showed that the Telugu audience will accept a non-formulaic, gripping tale of uprising in a rural milieu. The biggest revelation was Ram Charan as the hard-on-hearing Chitti Babu. Charan has had several blockbusters to his credit but was never singularly praised for his acting chops. There’s also something appealing about a film that isn’t overtly skewed to glorifying its hero. Aadhi Pinisetty received a fair share of spotlight. The scenes between the brothers and Jagapati Babu are among the highlights. As the de-glam village belle washing buffaloes in this film and as the young reporter in Mahanati , it’s been a good summer for Samantha Akkineni. She seems to be enjoying this phase of her career.
Tholiprema
Debut director Venky Atluri’s romantic comedy wasn’t something you’d term as extraordinary. It was a simple story narrated well. The coming-of-age romance had several things going for it, along with a charming lead pair. We’ve seen Varun Tej shine before. Tholiprema ’s surprise factor was Rashi Khanna. Four years after her debut in Srinivas Avasarala’s Oohalu Gusagusalade , she got something good to chew on after being lost in a melee of mind-numbing mass films. She moved seamlessly from a college girl sporting fringes to a young working woman who still hopes that she can mend bridges with the man she had fallen in love with.
Tholi Prema Movie HD Photos Stills | Varun Tej, Rashi Khanna Images, Gallery
Bharat Ane Nenu
Koratala Siva’s film was heavily tilted towards its male protagonist, who cleans up the political system single handedly. Yet, there were several refreshing aspects. It was okay to have a hero who’s not as fluent in Telugu as he’s in English, and it was okay if he didn’t beat up a 100 people in the climax. Stringent fines for flouting traffic rules, the idea of local administration, an introduction of English education in government-run schools… the story put forth several ideas worth pondering. Mahesh Babu fit the part of a suave young politician and befittingly received a warm response from the audience.
Awe
Watch out for writer-director Prasanth Varm a. His debut directorial Awe brimmed with ideas. It was meant to be a small film for a niche audience but managed to create a larger buzz. The idea of several threads and characters stemming from a writer’s (Kajal Aggarwal) imagination and experiences, told through a Telugu film that blends in multiple genres, should be on your viewing list if you missed the film in theatres. Backed by Nani and Prashanti Tipirneni, it starred several established actors (Kajal Aggarwal, Nithya Menen, Esha Rebba, Regina Cassandra among others) in brief but impactful parts. The narrative works like a puzzle that’s easier to crack if you observe the title song closely. Several clues hidden in there explained the writer-director’s conceit.
