Pelli Choopulu

Chitra has just completed MBA and aspires to pursue further studies in Australia and become an entrepreneur. Prashanth is forced to pursue Engineering course by his father though he aspires to be a chef. He is also too lazy to chase his dream and seeks shortcuts to settle down in life. The movie takes off when the two protagonists meet accidentally during a pellichoopulu (a common Indian ritual where potential groom and bride meet along with their families). What follows is a narrative that presents a predictable story in an engaging manner with oodles of humor and very relatable situations.

Vijay Deverakonda is authentic in his portrayal of Prashanth who is used to the daily taunts from his father and would prefer to laze around seeking simplistic solutions without a care. Ritu Varma, with her sparkling presence lights up every frame and is pitch perfect as the ambitious Chitra who is at ease in conveying a wide range of emotions. They share an easy chemistry and are ideal foil for each other which make them instantly likeable and keeps the viewers invested in how they fare. Besides the leads, the movie benefits from a competent set of supporting cast who register their presence even in the smallest of roles and adding to the funny situations. Composer Vivek Sagar has provided some good songs and adds value with his background score.

Debutante director Tharun Bhascker Dhaassyam has made a breezy romcom which checks almost all the right boxes a genre which is mostly messed up in narratives that are mired in melodrama or mindless action or other "masala" elements. His competence as an engaging storyteller is evident in the way that he strikes a fine balance in presenting the multiple threads of understated romance, aspirations of girls which are often ignored or even trampled upon as well as the casual attitudes of a section of youth Wei fail to follow one's dreams due to their lethargy and seeking easy solutions, family bonds without getting preachy or melodramatic and constant flow of jokes which do not feel forced.

With an entertaining first feature, Tharun has announced his arrival as a film maker to look forward to.

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 typically don't like romcoms as I think it is too easy for them to fall under the trap of the omnipresent, banal, and repetitious themes and character personalities that plague 95% of the the romantic movies that exist. But this is a great movie with a lot of heart that escapes most of the aforementioned pitfalls, and provides a fresh story with new ideas and characters. Movies like this are essential to keep the genre alive.

The director worked brilliantly with this script, and has created an entertaining spectacle that has enough substance to easily carry the movie past the predictable themes that it does contain. All the characters here are in some way flawed but also likable, which gives way to some lighthearted moments where you couldn't help but smile. Everyone also always stays in character, which I feel is vital for any film. There are many instances in this movie that will surprise you, and for a comedy all of it surprisingly holds well together. You know a movie is good when some scenes stay with you after it is over. Indeed, some of the scenes here are so clever and funny that you couldn't help but appreciate the ingenuity of it all.

Apart from all this commendation, there is one thing which is tugging at my stomach. On one hand it is the freshest take on a romcom I've seen in recent times, on the other, I kind of hate the apparent acceptance of dowry the movie portrays. There is even a scene in which Prashant, the male lead, says directly to Chitra, the female lead that there is nothing wrong with dowry and she says nothing to counter it. I understand that this indirectly comments on the social acceptance of dowry in our nation and this is how many Indians perceive it, but Prashant does not have to fall under that category. The movie industry has a tremendous influence in shaping our culture along with the mindset of the younger audience, and it's a shame that the director chose not to stand against it. I may be coming along as too harsh, so I am just dropping that awesome 9 to a solid 8.

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.

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.