Pelli Choopulu

Tharun Bhascker Daassyam, almost a year and half ago, this name was trending in the film fraternity, especially in TFI and do you know why? That's because, one of the most acclaimed short films of recent times 'Sainma' debuted online at that time and later got released on YouTube after making enough fortune. And that film is this man Bhascker's brain child. Well, you might wonder why I'm stressing so much on his short 'Sainma' rather than talking about 'Pellichupulu', that's because the 20 odd minutes you spend watching 'Sainma' speaks volumes about this mans talent and believe me, you will never regret watching it. Coming to the current topic, the flick's based or precisely developed from Bhascker's previously directed, another well acclaimed short 'Anukokunda'. The film is a coming of age comedy-drama and the story is about Chitra and Prashanth who meet for the first time in a pellichupulu and eventually how they travel along with each other is what that follows. That's it, simple right? No, hold on. There are a lot of twists and turns in this simple story line, thanks to the well written screenplay. The way in which the first half runs is too damn good. It just flows and you won't even realise its almost time for a break. Though the story gets a lil predictable in the second half, it still manages to keep audience intact with the flow. The characters and the characterizations in the film are so near to reality that one can easily relate to them. And the dialogues are one of the biggest assets to the film, simple and real. The actors Vijay Devarakonda and Ritu Varma were competent to show there skills and make their presence felt. They did a 100% justice to their characters, commendable performances. And there is this character named 'Kaushik' played by Priyadarshi, man o man, what a gem of dialogue delivery he has! Made the whole theatre erupt in laughter for more than 10 times I guess, brilliant acting. Rest of the cast did their part well. Coming to the technical side, editing was neat. Cinematography was good. Music, scored by Vivek Sagar was too good and apt at many situations. Very hardly does one see The Hindu review a movie and call it 'A Gem'. What more do you want? Just go and grab a ticket, this one's a sure shot hit.

I watched Pellichoopulu without much hope of being impressed or even of being entertained. Recent Telugu movies have been passable, but nothing that really got my attention. Pellichoopulu totally blew these thoughts out of my head!

The first half of PC was riotously funny, as the gang led by Prashant (Vijay Devarakonda) are goons who engage in the same dumb things college guys do around the world. Koushik (Priyadarshi) was unbelievably funny--the last time I remember laughing that much at a comedian's antics was maybe the Sunil of old (movies like Dhee, Ready, etc.). Ritu Verma as Chitra was awesome--I distinctly remember being amazed that there was finally a true-to-life strong female character in a Telugu movie. Perhaps the most striking aspect of the first half was that it was so current and relevant. Every teenager sees aspects of their group of friends in Prashant's gang, and the insertion of jokes about social media was timely and hilarious. Chitra's determination and modern character makeup was far more reminiscent of today's Indian women than the made-up doll roles that Tammannah, Samantha, and even Kajal frequently find themselves in.

The second half slowed down considerably, as the focus shifted to the emerging love story between Prashant and Chitra. I was a little less enthused about this half, but I believe it to have been very well done in its own way. The tension between the two kept me engaged, and the non-obvious way in which it resolved itself left me more satisfied than the usual fight scenes that Telugu movies use as a way of having a hero save the heroine.

Overall, Pelli Choopulu is a must-watch with great writing, direction, and action. I know I will be watching it again for many years.

A laugh riot that's realistic and well put.

After a long time, I enjoyed a Telugu Film and felt happy after coming out of the theater and also watch it another time. Last time I had such a feeling for a Telugu Film was for "Mithunam" and it was four years ago.

The good thing is that this film does not have any dances, there are no fights, there are no melodramatic dialogues. Though the sentimental part drags the movie, the humour overtook the drag and added a pull. It's the fun I took back home and was happy with the feeling this movie gave.

The protagonists were new for me and of all the characters I liked the character of "Kaushik". It is played by "Priyadarshi". Of course, the film belongs to Ritu Varma as "Chitra" who reminded of "Roopa" in Anand (Anand is a 2004 film).

It's refreshing to see a new director make a movie that's terrific in content (the writing, narration) and make the actors do an excellent job. Kudos to Tharun Bhascker. He has a long way to go if he sticks to non-commercial films and believes that content is above all else.

The cinematography and editing are two departments which impressed me. The camera was invisible, as there are no specific long shots. The whole movie is shot in a straightforward and realistic way which is a huge bonus. From locations to interiors decors it was all well put and also colorful at the same time. There was life all through the film and hardly there was any dull visual. Also, the film was fluid with very few dull moments (dull moments were mostly in the sentimental last half hour). The cuts done were nice; there were no jump cuts and it is simply put. So, Telugu Film Industry can look forward to Nagesh Banell the cinematographer and Ravi Teja Girijala the editor. These are two good finds from the film.

I was impressed by the use of music too. Taking the budget constraints into account Music is a commendable job done by Vivek Sagar. I loved the usage of the song "Raalu Raaga Poolamaala." Also, I must appreciate a huge fact this film is done in Sync Sound. That is there is no dubbing used; a terrific challenge is handled well and the results are seen in the movie.

I am not putting the story or any dialogues out here. I am sure the Telugu Film Audience will embrace a film like.

A 4/5 for a Telugu Film. A rarity from me but this is one film I will watch multiple times.

Beautifully well written story... Blend of love, family, comedy, career, everything in served in one plate.. Cinematography & screenplay was good. Watch it u will love it...!

The movie is completely surrounded by positive vibes. From beginning to ending the charm of the film never fades. Vijay devarakonda excels in his role with his natural emotions. The character called kowshik made movie extra special.