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The Covid-19 pandemic has made us feel out of place, and during times like these, we all tend to search for something comforting and hope-filled, but also films that leave us feeling bitter-sweet. Here's our list.
Director: C Prem Kumar
An official remake of the Tamil classic '96, Jaanu is about a boy and girl who love each other but can't be together, and who meet as adults at a school reunion. The movie takes us back to school, makes us reminisce about the sweetness of first love and reminds us of the pain when it doesn't hold. But it also shows us how all of us deal with heartbreak.
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Director: Shiva Nirvana
Shiva, a debut director, gave us Uma (played by Nani) who can't deal with the fact that his girlfriend has married another man. He pines for her and is in a fit of self destruction. The man who was once so mature about his career, becomes stubborn and immature with his ex-girlfriend and her husband. But we get to see his redemption, and how he comes to terms with the fact that she doesn't belong to him anymore. The penultimate scene in which a shattered Uma walks out of the house crying deeply moves but also reassures heartbroken lovers that there's more to life.
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Director: Tharun Bhascker
This light-hearted romcom is relatable and fun. Every character seems familiar, and the humour is organic. Prashanth (Vijay Deverakonda) and Chitra (Ritu Varma) are people on the opposite end of the spectrum. He's a good-for-nothing lazy guy who is interested in cooking and she's keen on turning entrepreneur. The friendships and the love stories in the movie are very relatable, and one might even feel encouraged to go ahead and pursue their dream in life.
Streaming on MX Player.
Director: Venkatesh Maha
The film is set in a small village called Kancharapalem and follows the stories of Sundaram, Joseph, Gaddam and Raju. The movie presents innocent love stories with such simplicity, and yet manages to deal with the larger theme of love transcending caste, religion and age. The village of Kancharapalem and its characters are heartwarming. The closing twist elevates the movie.
Streaming on Netflix.
Director: Gowtam Tinnanur
Cricket is highly admired in India, and underdog stories can never go out of fashion. This film, which has both these elements, could have easily gone into the commercial space. But Jersey is a personal story about a father-son relationship and about chasing your dreams despite your shortcomings. Nani is completely believable as Arjun and he steals the show. The sensitivity with which the film deals with the husband-wife and father-son relationships is commendable. Jersey ends on a moving note, but despite that, makes for a satisfying watch.
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Director: Tharun Bhascker
ENE, a buddy comedy drama by Tharun Bhascker, became a go-to movie for every friend group in the Telugu-speaking States to watch together. The relatable and relevant humour makes the film instantly likeable, but it deals with other important things with equal 'lightness'. All the conversations feel very natural. Even the scenes that deal with heavy emotions don't slip into melodrama but stay subtle. We follow the four friends having fun, falling in love and dealing with heartbreak and fear. ENE is fun while it lasts and makes for a happy two-and-a-half-hour watch.
Streaming on Netflix.
Director: Nag Ashwin
A materialistic man goes on a journey with a free-spirited girl to mix the ashes of his hippie friend in Doodh Kashi (a river in the Himalayas). This turns into a path of self discovery for him and a lesson about success. Every person who has faced a dilemma about passion and profession can relate to this story, and even otherwise, the film never fails to entertain you while simultaneously talking about profound concepts.
Streaming on Sun NXT.
Director: Sekhar Kammula
Every engineering aspirant back in the day has probably seen this movie and imagined college life to be like the one in this movie. The movie has an ensemble cast and all the actors bring a certain freshness to their characters. Music by Mickey J Meyer particularly stands out. The love, hatred, jealousy, college fun, gang fights with seniors, plans about careers… the film effortlessly showcases all these shades of college life. A rewatch is an assured nostalgia-trigger.
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Director: G Ashok
Pilla Zamindar is a story about PJ (Nani) who is an arrogant brat born into riches but who has to go to a village called Siripuram to complete his degree in a local college in order to inherit all that wealth. The movie shows how PJ turns into a mature and a sensible guy during his time in the village. He learns the value of money and how people in our life are far more important than anything materialistic. Although the film deals with a heavy subject, it tackles it sensibly with equal doses of humour and drama. An underrated film with beautiful life lessons.
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Director: Trivikram Srinivas
'Devo Manushya Rupena'. We see these words before the opening credits and these words summarise what the movie wants to convey. Alluri Sita Rama Raju (Mahesh Babu) is a taxi driver believed by villagers to be the God who will save them. What follows is a funny, intelligent and thrilling story of Raju understanding his place in the scheme of things and saving the villagers. With Mahesh Babu's new style of comedy, Trivikram's witty ideas and dialogues and beautiful underlying layers, the film has acquired cult status. The film portrays the protagonist as 'God' and makes him realise, in one of the most beautiful scenes in the film, that there is a 'God' in everyone who selflessly helps others.
Streaming on Sun NXT.