2018 was another year of great story-telling for Telugu Cinema. While there were quite a few films that I liked this year, these were my absolute favorites. The films are listed in the order they were released.
Awe
When we are introduced to a free spirited psychiatrist trying to convince her girlfriend’s parents to allow them to marry, a down-on-his-luck man taking the help of a goldfish and a bonsai tree to fake as a chef in a restaurant, a watchman who is relentless in his quest to invent a time-machine, a mysterious time-traveling scientist, an egoistic magician, a hallucinating waitress with a drug addiction, and a troubled woman who is about to commit a crime on her birthday, we know that this is going to be unlike any film we have ever seen in the Telugu film industry. With an exceptional screenplay and an incredible ensemble of some of the finest actors in the industry, Awe! is hands down the best Telugu film of 2018.
Rangasthalam
At a quick glance Rangasthalam is every film, set in a village in the 1980’s, but what makes Rangasthalam special is the perfect depiction of a time gone by, and its people. While the village in Rangasthalam, is a very convincing setup, it is the characters that breathe life into it. The film is about Kumarbabu and Chittibabu, who are the textbook definition of how siblings should be. While Kumarbabu is soft spoken, well-dressed, and patient, Chittibabu is loud, rustic and short-tempered, but what they have in common is their love for each other. When these two brothers set out to improve the village, we know that they will be fine because they have each other. It isn’t until Kumarbabu is attacked, and we see the smile on Chittibabu’s face disappear, do we realize that Chittibabu and life in Rangasthalam we will never be the same. Thanks to Sukumar’s brilliant vision, an engaging screenplay, impeccable performances, and beautiful music, Rangasthalam is without a doubt one of the best films of 2018.
You can watch Rangasthalam on Amazon Prime Video
Sammohanam
Cinema, you can love it or hate it, but you cannot ignore its existence or the influence it has on the society. We are a society that either worships the industry, or detests it. Those that love them believe that these actors and actresses are not normal, they possess a unique quality that sets them apart from all of us, and those that do not care for them believe that they are as fake as the films they act in. Sammohanam does a great job of showing us what happens when this enchanting world of cinema meets its worshipers and detesters.
Ee Nagaraniki Emaindhi
Ee Nagaraniki Emaindhi is one of those films that makes you rethink your life. Growing up, we all had dreams that we dreamed with our friends, about what we will do when we grow up. While some of us may be doing exactly that, most of us ended up choosing careers that are defined as sensible by society. While some of us have actually found happiness on our current chosen paths, or made peace with it, I am sure there are many out there who still think about their dreams and wonder what life would have been like, if they had not given up on them. Ee Nagaraniki Emaindhi is one such story of four friends who get a second chance at realizing their dreams. Vivek, Karthik, Kaushik and Uppi are four friends who always dreamed of becoming filmmakers. Due to circumstances, they go their separate ways and are now stuck in dead end jobs that they really hate. So when a bachelor party gone wrong lands them penniless in Goa, and in desperate need of Rs. 5 Lakh, to get out of the fix, the have no choice but to participate in a short film contest for the prize money. Based on real life incidents of the director and his friends, Ee Nagaraniki Emaindhi shows the journey of these four friends from their college days to how they finally made their first feature film, “Pelli Choopulu”. With an awesome screenplay, brilliant performances and some great music, Ee Nagaraniki Emaindhi is one of my favorite films this year.
Goodachari
Move over 007, we now have our very own Agent 116. Goodachari is Adivi Sesh and Sashi Kiran Tikka’s attempt to bring back the much loved spy series of Telugu Cinema. When Gopi’s dad is killed in a classified mission, his uncle Sathya fakes their death, moves far away from the city and raises him as Arjun. He wants Gopi to lead a normal risk free life, while Gopi secretly nurtures a dream of becoming a RAW agent like his late father Raghuveer. But being enlisted as a RAW agent is not easy. It is only after he finally joins the secret spy organization does he discover the truth about his father and the secret his uncle has been hiding from him. Goodachari is a very gripping thriller that has you on the edge of the seat throughout. Every actor in the film does an outstanding job and Adivi Sesh is great as Agent 116. Can’t wait for the next film in the series!
You can watch Goodachari on Amazon Prime Video
Geeta Govindam
Geetha Govindam is a romantic comedy about Vijay Govind, a college lecturer who is in search of his dream wife. For him the perfect wife is one who can read his thoughts even before he expresses them. He believes that he has met his ideal woman when he sees Geetha in a temple. A few days later when she ends up in the seat next to his, in an overnight bus journey, he is convinced that she is the one, and tries everything possible to strike up a friendship. Just when things couldn’t get any better, an ill-fated moment changes the course of both his future and their relationship. From story, screenplay, direction, casting, cinematography, music, to production, Geetha Govindam aces in every department. With never a dull moment, it is the best romantic comedy of this year.
C/o Kancharapalem
What does a fun loving elementary school girl who loves to sing (Sunitha), a fearless girl from a conservative family (Bhargavi), a free spirited prostitute who lives life on her own terms (Saleema), and a middle aged widow who cannot just stand by when someone is treated poorly (Radha) have in common? Men! Men who encourage them to believe in themselves, and reinforce their belief in all that is good in this world. Sadly the world is also filled with men who will stop at nothing to squash a woman’s dreams and desires. For them their pride is much more important than the happiness of their own flesh and blood. C/o Kancharapalem, does a beautiful job of telling us the stories of these four very real women, and the men in their lives.
U-Turn
U-Turn is a very important film that should not be missed. While the film itself is an exciting watch, the message it drives home is much more profound. In a country like India, where traffic violations are a norm, basic civic sense and traffic rules mean nothing to the majority. Illegal turns and U-Turns, crossing where there are no crosswalks, multiple vehicles in the same lane, ignoring red lights and stop signs, driving in the opposite lanes are just some of the many violations we see on our roads on a daily basis. The fact that only some of us are bothered by these daily occurrences is not only sad but scary. U-Turn does a great job of making us realize how sometimes, such minor offenses can have major consequences.
My Movie Spotlight 