The best and the worst of Telugu cinema in 2021. As people were still weighing their options when it came to going back to theatres in the aftermath of the first wave of Covid, the people of Telugu states ventured out and helped to bring the buzz back to the box office business. Ravi Teja’s Krack was the first major release this year, and it outdid the expectations. So much so that the producers postponed its early OTT release to cash in on its steady theatrical run. And it was just the beginning. While other industries were still trying to make sense of the situation, the box office in Telugu states seemed to be thriving. Take the response to Jathi Ratnalu, for instance. The film with no big stars and an established director emerged as a blockbuster at the box office. The success of this movie was proof that the patrons of cinemas always responded to a good movie, irrespective of the size of its budget or star cast.
The box office success streak continued with the success of debutant director Buchi Babu Sana’s Uppena and director Venu Sriram’s Vakeel Saab. The Pawan Kalyan-starrer, which was the remake of Bollywood hit Pink, opened to packed houses. Of course, the issue of consent and prevalence of slut-shaming in our culture takes a backseat, as Pawan uses the platform to vent his frustration about his rout in elections and contemplate his future in public service.
The 100 per cent occupancy in cinema halls helped Vakeel Saab make record collections. Reports have it that the film minted Rs 100 crore from its worldwide theatrical collection within a week of its release. It seemed nothing could keep away the audience from cinemas in Telugu states. However, that happiness was short-lived as the second wave of infections raged through the country. The lockdown was announced, shortening Vakeel Saab’s theatrical run.
Again, when the theatres reopened, the patrons in the Telugu states began to return to cinemas. After the end of the second lockdown, Nandamuri Balakrishna’s Akhanda brought back the cheer to the box office in a big way. However, critics pointed out how it propagates questionable morality, mixes up religion and violence, and exploits violence for the sake of guilt-free entertainment.
A poster of Akhanda film featuring Nandamuri Balakrishna. (Photo: PR Handout) 2021 was rather a slow year for the Telugu film industry in terms of the content it produced and experimented with. It was particularly disappointing given that the neighbouring industries — Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada — upped the ante in expanding the definition of mainstream entertainment. Telugu cinema measured poorly against its neighbours in terms of experimenting with themes and storytelling techniques.
So picking the good ones is fairly easy as there isn’t much competition in this department.
Allu Arjun is the lead star in Pushpa The Rise. (Photo: PR Handout) Here are the best Telugu films in 2021. Don’t buckle up as it won’t take long.
Jathi Ratnalu
Anudeep KV’s directorial is utterly silly, but in a good way. The director parodies everything under the sun, the obsession of middle-class people with IT jobs as opposed to self-employment, and pop culture’s influence on youth and their worldview.
Rang De
This romantic comedy is a rehash of all popular films of the genre — familiar relationship problems and the hopelessly romantic heroine counterbalanced with a hero who doesn’t believe in love. We have seen it all before. But, it is the familiarity of this film that works in its favour. After you enjoy so much of this Nithiin and Keerthy Suresh film, it would be hypocritical of one to complain about it.
Cinema Bandi
The new crop of Telugu filmmakers is taking inspiration from their Malayali counterparts and bringing to us feel-good and hopeful stories from far corners of their states. Cinema Bandi is one such film, which urges you to repose faith in the innate goodness of humans and the pleasures of simplicity.
Pushpa: The Rise
Saving the best for the last. The film is a lifesaver in more than one sense. If not for this last-minute mob drama, this year would have rather ended on a very disappointing year for big star spectacles of Telugu cinema. Director Sukumar has stripped Allu Arjun of all his trademark style and glamour so that he can shine only on his talent for acting. In return, Allu Arjun embraces his character without any reservation and delivers one of the powerful and the most-committed performances of his career.
Shyam Singha Roy
Director Rahul Sankrityan’s second directorial deals with the idea of reincarnation. The film has a grand idea of true love and how sometimes the universe conspires to help great lovers find their way back to their loved ones. Rahul’s screenplay has a few narrative gaps. However, the core idea and the main emotion of the movie is strong and engrossing enough to forgive the flaws. The period portion in the movie looks beautiful, sharp and authentic. Nani as a revolutionary writer Shyam Singha Roy and Sai Pallavi as classical dancer Mythiri charm their way into our hearts with their performances.
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