The following films should have won the Bhaskar Awards, but since we come from a nation of culture and tradition, we don't usually garland third-class movies. Does "bad" always mean unwatchable? No. We can indulge in guilty pleasures when our batteries are down. It helps us heal, to an extent. And since these are tough times, we thought we'd give this a shot.
Vinaya Vidheya Rama (2019)
There are many jokes on the internet that say Boyapati Srinu, the director of this movie, is Albert Einstein's teacher. When you think of everything that happens in Srinu's movies, you'll realize that the meme-makers are stating a fact and not merely cooking up stories. Vinaya Vidheya Rama has all the masalas that are required to make Mutton Biryani, but Srinu makes Broccoli Biryani instead.
Available On Amazon Prime Video (With Subtitles)
World Famous Lover (2020)
Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane. And hope makes Vijay Deverakonda's multiple characters do a lot of ridiculous things in World Famous Lover. If you jump into this drama thinking that there's going to be a generous amount of love, you're wrong. Love is nothing but a by-product of disappointment, tears, and rubbish here.
Available On Netflix (With Subtitles)
Padi Padi Leche Manasu (2018)
You can gather the pieces of your manasu (heart) and stitch them back together if it breaks once. But what will you do if your brain breaks? Now, that's a million-dollar question that the makers of Padi Padi Leche Manasu should have thought of while making this movie. And the brains – it must be added here – belong to the viewers and not the protagonists.
Available On Amazon Prime Video (With Subtitles)
Paisa Vasool (2017)
Nandamuri Balakrishna can sing, dance, fight, and fly – and if he's in a good mood, he can do them all at once. You'll see him at the height of his powers in Paisa Vasool where he delivers a great bunch of meaty one-liners. "Mama Ek Peg La," isn't just a foot-tapping song, it's the truest emotion of the pandemic year.
Available on SunNxt (With Subtitles)
Climax (2021)
Climax is a murder mystery where the mystery lies in zeroing in on the right adjective to describe the feeling of numbness that envelops you after you've reached the end credits. The principal character, played by Rajendra Prasad, is named Vijay Modi (borrowed from Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi). And if those reasons aren't enough to nudge you towards Climax, maybe you should take a look at Modi's beard in the film.
Available On Amazon Prime Video (With Subtitles)
Officer (2018)
What an egregious decade this has been for Ram Gopal Varma. He has continuously been making movies for thirty-plus years now and that's cool, but he shouldn't have taken Nagarjuna Akkineni for a ride. Officer is an amusement park that has no entry and exit points. It invites you in with its deceptive camera work and leaves you with a whip so that you can beat yourself up later.
Available On Amazon Prime Video (With Subtitles)
Akhil: The Power of Jua (2015)
This superhero action movie, where the hero doesn't play a superhero, is super kooky. What can James Bond do after all? He can probably jump off the airplane. But can he save the world and his love life at the same time? He cannot do that because he's not Akhil (Akhil Akkineni). According to a well-known Greek philosopher, The Power of Jua is E = mc2.
Available on Zee5 (With Subtitles)
Srinivasa Kalyanam (2018)
You'll be cursed by the gods of sampradaayam if you end the year without watching this traditionally traditional film. Srinivasa Kalyanam can give Sima Aunty from Netflix's Indian Matchmaking a run for her money. She knows that her efforts are ultimately meaningless if the stars are not aligned, but does she know the importance of sampradaayam behind Indian marriages? Nope!
Available On Amazon Prime Video (With Subtitles)
Miss India (2020)
Once upon a time, a famous politician said that he'd quit politics and open a tea stall. Manasa Samyuktha (Keerthy Suresh) should learn a thing or two from him. She sells chai to the Americans and every time she starts talking about the beverage, her eyes light up like a cricket stadium. But the film suffers the same fate as the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL.
Available on Netflix (With Subtitles)
Nishabdham (2020)
When there are two gorgeous actors on the screen, you sometimes forget how terrible the movie is. But Nishabdham doesn't give you the chance to do that either. This thriller, starring Anushka Shetty and Madhavan, is so unintentionally funny that you wonder if the actors really knew what they were getting into before giving their thumbs-up to the project.
Available On Amazon Prime Video (With Subtitles)