Tollywood Roundabout 2021

Tollywood Roundabout 2021 – List of films that deserved an elaborate piece in Synccinema.

The following list of films is covered in the order of their release, from January to December. These films were missed on my blog due to a few circumstances. I would’ve felt lazy, busy or even crazy (glad Paagal is not here), to write about them. I will not be considering the dubbed versions like Master or Doctor¸ but will be including films remade into Telugu Cinema. 

Mail – 3/5

Was planned under Now Premiering

Mail felt like yet another film venturing into a rural world and ending up with a myriad of twists. At least it felt like a climax full of the mishap until I realized that it’s the first chapter among many to come. Though the segments relating to online scams during the renaissance of boxy Desktops in India came across as quirky and nostalgic, they never made us retrospect by making us say “Those were the Days…..”. This may be because of the crawling pace of the narrative and the tried and tested set of characters, with only Priyadarshi’s being somewhat of an exception. When the time has come for the big reveal, the impact should have generated a sharp fun, whereas it plays like a lopsided play that has overstayed its welcome.

Mail was a good product and but not a great debut for an Onscreen Live-Action Franchise of Malgudi Days. I hopefully will appreciate it more if only there will be subsequent chapters to add to Jambapalli Kadhalu. Consistency across chapters would make me understand this world and its presentation better.

Zombie Reddy – 2.5/5

Was planned under +/- Review

An experiment where Frankenstein's Science Thriller meets RGV’s Slasher Drama. A movie set in the post-pandemic (the opening credits song tightly slaps us with its satire) and pre-zombie era,mit would take an enormous amount of concept building and cosmic creation to fully shape a Zombie Film into the Telugu Mainstream. The narrative, if you observe, also plays out like a Mario game, with an Avenger’s Assemble moment right at the middle of the 2nd Act.

But, it’s in this pre-zombie era where you have the escapist fun, as the set-up is solid as Prashanth Varma’s almost archetypical characters perfectly placed to make you laugh though you feel sceptical of something might go wrong. The post-zombie segments are a mess with one set piece after another filled with Dumb Zombies making us feel exhausted than frightened. Also, the jokes have been drastically cut down post interval leaving us nothing to either fear or laugh at. I will leave this here because the less I talk about the Climax, the best. Zombie Reddy does stick out like a sore thumb for the wrong reasons.

Uppena - 2/5

Was Planned under Synccinema Quickie

The raw, rustic and riveting climax left a rash on my scalp. I was continuously scratching my head as to which direction is the plot heading post interval. Buchi Babu Sana manages to get the world-building, power equation and the caste difference right in the first half, though he focuses a lot on a cheesy development of the romance. The pre-interval sequence is a pearl, reaching the maximum dramatic tension within a fairyland where a grand duet is being played. All Cards start playing interestingly for those 5-10 minutes as Jala Jala Jalapaatham Nuvvu fills your ears.

There is no bland way by which this movie could end I thought.  But Raayanam, a one-dimensional black villain played by unnecessarily cast and wasted Vijay Sethupati, proved me wrong with his actions. Even before that, if you have introduced a viable solution to the main conflict of the movie half way through, then there is no choice but for the plot to go for a holiday. But this time, it even took its characters with it, to Orissa, Kolkata, Darjeeling and …..   Uppena was a high tide of emotions and characters followed by a low tide of lazy writing and cringing climax. A distorted mosaic of love where the tinted beauty is dominated by the standout flaws.

Naandhi – 3/5

Was Planned under - Thoughts on...

Naandhi is an Inferior Subject that takes Slow Burn of Police Brutality and Generic Cat'n Mouse games in the same breath. It gets half the job done as a Telugu Original Story about Police Brutality. While there are few cinematic highs in the movie which haunt you even after the screening, it is the space in between these highs that feel weak. The biggest disappointment I had with the movie was the way it does away with the initial parts of the arrest by cutting into a montage, rather than exploring how a civilised man turns into an animal as every day passes in that cage.

In a nutshell, Allari Naresh’s revelation as an actor deserves a better film. The subject sets the stage for him, but not the way the film is conceived.

Kapatadhaari – 3.25/5

Was Planned under +/- Review

Kapatdhaari is the most underrated film this year. It further was pushed in that direction because the release clashed with Naandhi , which had everything visible for buzzword content. For an investigative thriller to project its hero as genuine Traffic Police, rather than a smart Superhero, struggling for a better post and most importantly better police work, is in itself an achievement.

Where the film triumphs over the rest of its class is the way it deals with the riveting flashback, creatively shedding light on the Crime Scene and even taking it a notch higher by making characters of the present day interact with the motivations of characters in the past. I love the scene where Sumanth sips tea sitting amidst the suspects of that day, cinematically showing how good his imaginative skills are.

If not for the poor production quality and some plot conveniences in the climax, the film would’ve set a benchmark as a Cop Thriller as well as a True Remake. Sumanth selection of script deserves a pat on his back.

Jathi Rathnalu – 3.5/5

Was Planned under – Thoughts on…

The film worked better than Covid vaccines. The film proved laughter is the best medicine. The film brought us back to the theatres in huge amounts as we would generally go. The film ensured we not just had a good, but a great time at the theatres.

The film is a new age Jathi Ratnam in creating a mocking representation of the idiosyncratic society we live in. The film reminded me of a rare feat achieved only by shows like Flop Show, Amrutham. The film will never shy away, just like the other two, to say that Sitcoms are not inferior to other genres. Kudos to K.V.Anudeep, the Jathi Ratnam who created Jathi Ratnalu. And it’s no surprise why such a film was made by such a man.

Rang De – 3.5/5

Was Planned under – Thoughts on….

This movie, by far, would have surprised me the most. Rang De got better and better and better as every scene passed by. The structure Venki Atluri uses is the same as before, but what keeps afloat is the fantastic sensibilities with which a Romantic Comedy is written.

This level of maturity is seldomly expected and the same goes with the level of emotional detailing the protagonists get. The crafts, conflicts and characters are all a notch higher in this world where there is no space for childish flirtation-ship or rudimentary quarrels between the leads. Devi Sri Prasad’s album is one of the best musicals in 2021, better than Uppena. P.C.Sreeram’s cinematography for the song Emito Idhi justified why such a Legendary Artist was working on this project. Revisit the song and you’ll understand how floatingly the vulnerability of Anu and Arjun is depicted.

Raja Raja Chora – 4/5

Was Planned under Synccinema Quickie

Hasith Goli’s multi-genre movie was the most difficult movie that I had to review this year. Forget about whether the film is good or bad, I cannot justify in one watch how better the movie is than it seems to be. It’s great no doubt about that. But it's out of the world if you can watch it another time.

Raja Raja Chora cannot be strictly boxed into a Commerical, Comedy cum Thriller which is there only to entertain. The movie is there to make a statement about life in general, using Cinema as an art form and entertainment as a vehicle. I was still in awe after watching the film, thinking this is our reply to Super Deluxe. This space won’t be sufficient to appreciate the quality of filmmaking this movie has put out. I’ll soon make a separate article. Meanwhile, watch the movie on Zee5, there will be more details coming out each time you watch.

Sridevi Soda Centre – 2.5/5

Was Planned under - Synccinema Quickie

There was a strong sense of “Been There Seen That” which prevailed as I sat through this movie. Maybe the timing was wrong for the movie as it was hardly half a year Uppena, a movie strikingly similar, was released in theatres.

No doubt that Palasa 1978’s director is better than Buchi Babu Sana, but what the latter got right was an interesting enough world for the romance to bloom. Here the romance crashes even before it takes off. Although it’s a dud, the mature treatment on Honour Killings and Karuna Kumar being strong with his visual representation save the day.

Notokka Jillala Andagadu – 3.5/5

Was Planned under - Thoughts on...

The movie added the coolth and sparkle to Telugu Cinema in 2021. Srinivas Avasarala is a proven writer in terms of human sensibilities and relatable characterizations. The writing as it covers one personality shattering stigma after another with enjoyable wisecracks, classy humour.

But it's Srinivas Avasarala’s as an actor who has levelled up by playing a part cartoonish part lifelike role of GSN (Gotti Soornarayana). His portrayal of a Bald youngster added a lot of colour and pomp to the character on paper. The best part about the film is the way it brings about the solution to self-acceptance – less preachy and more friendly I would say. A special movie from the pen of a special writer.

Tuck Jagadish - 3.25/5

Was Planned under -  Now Premiering

The movie had to tuck in the most polarising opinions. I liked the film, especially the metaphoric involvement of Land in every Dispute that occurs in the village was portrayed through the element of rock – the solid column generally used for setting a fence across the periphery. It's this column that always becomes the weapon.

As Shiva Nirvana does away with formalities in the first half an hour, the cracks start showing up in the dysfunctional family of the Protagonist. These cracks become a vehicle to carry forward the conflict effectively. Even the messiah angle is given a backbone from the protagonist point of view, not just that he has Money (Srimanthudu), Power (Maharshi) or is a god (Khaleja). Apart from the unregistered romantic angle and the dull music, I never had bigger issues with the film. It was a family entertainer done right and done in a way other than how Trivikram would have dealt.

 

Maha Samudram – 2/5

Was Planned under - Synccinema Quickie

Bombed at the box office, for all the right reasons. What kept RX 100 apart – The intense emotional beat. What sank this movie into the Maha Samudram – Lack of Emotional Connect. Not even one character is relatable or else exciting. Nothing engaging in the story as well.

A movie gravely affected by negligent writing and uninspiring direction, until the 3rd Act. But it's too late until then as the ship has already sunk.

Drushyam 2 - The Resumption – 3.25/5

Was Planned under - Now Premiering 

This is what I call a writer’s movie. Each movie resembles Rambabu’s psychological turmoil. Drushyam 2 - The Resumption starts as though it is waiting to reveal the twist. What’s even more stimulating is the movie knows right from the start that Rambabu will be found guilty with the crucial evidence. It starts building its story based on what comes after he was found guilty.

Drushyam 2 - The Resumption carries forward the strong points from the prequel, which was an enticing thriller. Though it follows more or less the same pattern, those cards have not become too old to say the word – “Predictable”. This is especially the case for the Climax. But few conveniences felt difficult to bite into, as a result, tampered my movie-watching experiences.

Akhanda – 2.5/5

Was Planned under - Synccinema Quickie

In Akhanda, the hero oscillates between Boyapati’s Balayya and Balayya’s Boyapati. Just like the bodies, the character arcs are also very inconsistent. But a complaint about Character arc would make me look stupid when people are hooting and cheering like there’s no tomorrow.

Balayya gets shown in the right way. But there’s nothing right in the story when it comes to emotions. Why should everything feel so artificial and plastic? This was the question I asked myself throughout the film. Even the editing is worst with intervals coming after 100 minutes. Coming to music, I guess I should reinstate the fact that I’m not deaf and I am not planning to be so either. Thaman, you did a good job, except you should have mixed the sound to the right volume. A high Tremble soundtrack bursting in my ears is sure to give me a headache.

Pushpa - The Rise – 2.75/5

Was Planned under -  Thoughts on...

The only good things in Pushpa - The Rise are Allu Arjun’s committed deglamorized acting and the canvas of Sandalwood smuggling on which the movie is built. Pushpa - The Rise gets something fundamentally wrong. The something is called story.

Gangster Drama’s are nothing new to Telugu or Indian audiences. But a certain level of refreshing treatment of the same subject is a sure shot formula for success. With a Writer-Director like Sukumar¸ novelty is achievable, but maybe he focussed too much on the rural setting than writing down good subplots, that backstabbed the product badly. None of the subtexts works, and few feel highly exaggerated and superficial.

Let’s hope Pushpa – The Rule would be a better film.