Pelli Chupulu is a Telugu movie that came out four weeks ago. I tried for tickets last night. House full. I had to pretty-please-arm-twist the producer (Raj Kandukuri) to somehow get me in.
The movie has so far made many times over its production costs (around 30 crores in domestic theatres alone) and public interest doesn’t seem to be on the ebb yet.
Here’s why I think you should watch it, regardless of whether you know Telugu or not:
It’s got English subtitles.
Okay, here’s the real reason.
“Boy Meets Girl at a Matchmaking Meet”
The movie hooks you from the word go because of the characticatures.
The constantly pissed off father who thinks his son is a loser. The son who is okay being a loser but also has a secret passion. The daughter who is headstrong and is at loggerheads with dad.
The asshole boyfriend who stands her (heroine) up on her birthday for a Rs. 2 crore dowry. The asshole girlfriend who uses him (hero) as a driver and cash machine. The friends who provide comic relief. The helpless moms who cook and watch TV.
Every character is a caricature. BUT, they’ve been drawn with such love and irreverence that you’ll consider them your own.
The Funnies are Fresh
It’s been a really long time since I’ve laughed so much at situational comedy, which feels real and possible. Like the part where the hero’s dad asks him to pass his arrears at least by cheating. Or when the hero/heroine introduce each other as the prospective bride and prospective groom.
I’m picking instances from the trailer, to avoid spoilers. I’m sweet that way.
All Newbies, All Good
Both the leads, Ritu Varma and Vijay Deverakonda are one movie old. But they own the screen and the chemistry in this one, thanks to debutante director Tharun Bhascker Dhaassyam. It’s almost like the script was written for them.
Vijay has to basically breeze through the whole movie like there’s a problem with his elasticity. But he brings in such innocence on screen that its not boring. There’s also an intense scene in the end, where he has to face his fears, and your heart beats with his.
Ritu is a stunner and a solid performer to boot. She is one of those few people who can get cheesy romantic scenes right (read: thinking of the hero while lying in bed types).
Too Much of a Good Thing?
Pelli Chupulu is one of those movies that’s hard to repeat and even tougher to top. The last time a low budget Telugu movie with new faces and almost no songs (at least no dance sequences) did this well was Anand (2004) that lived up to its tagline; Manchi coffee lanti cinema (a movie that’s like a fresh cup of coffee).
Vijay fits so perfectly into this character that its hard to see him any other way. Much like Nitish Bharadwaj in Mahabharat as Lord Krishna. We didn’t even let him play Vishnu or a Krishna in a different hairdo!
And so if the producer Raj Kandukuri, whose refreshing choice of women oriented stories in a misogynist industry gets box-office lucky again, it will mean good news to the public on so many levels.
The music in the movie does its job, but doesn’t hold as a separate jukebox.
Go watch the movie! You’ll enjoy it as much as I did. Well, almost, unless you know Telugu and can taste the tart in the Hyderabadi dialect.
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