A sneak-peak into Telugu films that made a difference and won critical reviews for their content and performances.
Year-end Roundup: Best Telugu movies of 2022. (Supplied)
In 2022, Tollywood saw movies from different genres putting up a great show at the box office.
There are a couple of highest-worldwide grossers, including SS Rajamouli’s star-studded RRR starring Jr NTR-Ram Charan Tej, Mahesh Babu’s Sarkaru Vaari Paata, and Pawan Kalyan-Rana Daggubati’s Bheemla Nayak.
But Nikhil Siddhartha-Anupama Parameswaran’s Karthikey 2 turned out to be the surprise package.
However, there are a few films that tugged at the heartstrings of Telugu audiences with their powerful content and thus deserve to be tagged as the best Telugu movies of 2022. Let’s take a quick look at the list:
In the last few years, Adivi Sesh significantly rose from the ranks, both as a writer and also as an actor. In 2022, he established himself as a formidable force.
A poster of ‘Major’. (Supplied)
Major was based on Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, an Indian Army officer who was martyred while combating terrorists in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Along with being the protagonist, Adivi Sesh was also the writer of this project.
The story of Major doesn’t have any suspense since the audience is aware of what will happen at the end.
But that didn’t stop the audience from cheering on Sandeep when he combats the terrorists.
Through his writing, Sesh presented Sandeep as a wholesome personality and not just as a military man. As a result, the audience had a better emotional connection when the tragedy happened.
As an actor, Sesh grabbed the role with both hands. He nailed his act both in scenes of physical bravado and also as a caring son.
A poster of ‘Hit: The Second Case’. (Supplied)
It was a sequel to the successful HIT: The First Case. Director Sailesh made sure that there was a proper connection between HIt 1 and HIT 2.
Nevertheless, HIT 2 was ahead of its prequel, both as a solid police procedural and also as a psychopath film. Unlike Major and Goodachari, Adivi Sesh did not write the story for this film.
HIT 2 also had a brief subplot where it critiques extrajudicial killings and their celebration.
It is only a brief mention but it makes the movie a cut above the other films of this genre.
Thrillers aren’t new for Sesh but the actor made sure that there is something novel in his performance.
Hanu Raghavapudi’s Sita Ramam can be labelled as a poetic love story.
There is a lot to like about this Dulqer Salmaan and Mrunal Thakur-starrer. The two not only shined individually but their chemistry was also top-notch.
A poster of ‘Sita Ramam’. (Supplied)
As Lieutenant Ram, Dulqer turned on his charm fully and made the audience fall in love with him.
Mrunal Thakur was the surprise package. She not only looked stunning but also delivered a wonderful performance.
The director smartly combined the love angle with the Indo-Pak conflict. There are ample twists and turns to keep you hooked and it is difficult to be not moved by the ending.
The supporting characters led by Rashmika and Sumanth were also a delight to watch.
Music and cinematography departments also made Sita Ramam an enriching experience.
The film had its share of flaws; the case in point being the comedy track of Vennela Kishore. Also, Mrunal’s character doesn’t de-age even one bit!
But still, Sita Ramam is a feast for those who like intense love stories.
Directed by Abhimanyu Tadimeti, Bhamakalapam is an interesting garnishing of elements such as crime, greed and religion.
A poster of ‘Bhamakalapam’. (Supplied)
The plot is centred on a Faberge egg that is worth ₹200 core. At the beginning itself, the audiences understand this egg has been stolen and gets lost again.
Bhamakapalam is not just an engrossing thriller but it also makes an important statement about finding the god within.
The underlying message is not to be misled by someone who uses religion as a weapon. This message isn’t particularly new; nevertheless, it’s relevant.
Anupama Mohan (Priya Mani) is a woman of many talents. She is a homemaker who is also famous for her cooking videos.
There is also an inner Sherlock Holmes in her which comes out early on. She tries to expose the extramarital affair of her neighbour. But all this backfires!
The husband takes a promise that she wouldn’t do her detective work again but fate has other plans.
The best aspect of Bhamakalapam is how the director builds suspense around the egg. Audiences are constantly wondering about what is so special about this Faberge egg that it is worth ₹200 core.
The film also benefits immensely from Priya Mani’s spot-on performance. She imbibed the curiosity of Anupama.
Her scenes with house help Shilpa (Sharanya) are a delight to watch. Sharanya shined both in the comic bits and also where she is required to show tension.
In 2022, Actor Nani came up with just one movie: Ante Sudaraniki. Well, it was quite unusual; for, he delivers a film every three to four months.
A poster of ‘Ante Sundaraniki’. (Supplied)
In Ante Sudaraniki, the actor teamed up with Malayali beauty Nazriya Nazim. This romantic comedy is helmed by young director Vivek Athreya.
Though the reception at the box office for this sensible flick was mixed during its theatrical release, Ante Sundaraniki surely makes it to the list of best Telugu movies of 2022.
Nani rose to stardom with romantic comedies and he carries them with ease. Thus, he comes up with his best for Ante Sundaraniki. Nazriya Nazim joining him makes the proceedings even more interesting.
Nani appears as Sundara Prasad from an orthodox Brahmin family. Nazriya plays Leela Thomas from a Christian family.
They leave no stone unturned in convincing their parents of their interfaith marriage, but only land in bigger problems which, in turn, leave the audience in splits.
In all, the romantic comedy narrates the struggles of an interfaith couple in a comical way.
Besides the lead pair, the film features a strong support cast like Anupama Parameswaran, Nadhiya, Naresh, Rohini, and Azhagam Perumal.
Underrated Virata Parvam deserves serious film buffs’ attention
A poster of ‘Virata Parvam’. (Supplied)
Rana Daggubati and Sai Pallavi-starrer Virata Parvam gained quite a lot of attention even before its release, owing to its storyline and casting.
But it could not sustain its momentum after hitting the theatres, as many considered it to be too serious a film for regular audiences.
Directed by Venu Udugula, Virata Parvam is set in the backdrop of Naxalism and tracks the heart-wrenching story of Vennela (Sai Pallavi). She falls for Naxal leader Ravi Shankar (Rana Daggubati) and gets attracted to the Naxalism ideology, which tragically ends her life.
Telangana was the hotbed for Naxalism in the 1980s and 1990s. Virata Parvam depicts the various facets of the extremist movement, riding on the love story of the lead pair.
Sai Pallavi’s acting prowess and her ability to carry conflicting emotions effortlessly keep the audience engaged throughout the movie.
Film lovers who are interested in serious stuff will find Virata Parvam engaging.
Aishwarya Lekshmi’s Ammu takes a new stance on an age-old issue.
This is a low-profile movie which was released without much fanfare but held the audience in thrall with its intensity later.
A poster of ‘Ammu’. (Supplied)
Starring the talented Aishwarya Lekshmi in the title role, Ammu depicts the story of a naive and hapless married woman who becomes a victim of domestic violence.
Films on domestic violence are not new to the Telugu audience. But the way director Charukesh Sekar dealt with it makes Ammu a special movie.
Aishwarya Lekshmi’s impressive portrayal of a woman stuck in an abusive marriage added to the director’s vision, making it to the list of must-watch movies of 2022.
While this realistic film has its shortcomings, its brilliance and honesty won over the audiences.
Being the queen of Ammu, Aishwarya Lekshmi grabs all the credit. However, Naveen Chandra plays on par with her. He does an excellent job as an abusive husband.
Bobby Simha’s presence further adds to the impact. Interestingly, Ammu is Amazon Prime Video’s first original Telugu film.
The genre of romantic comedy/drama is one of the most overused genres in cinemas across languages. Only two kinds of endings are possible: One happy and the other sad.
But a well-made rom-com is always welcome, like Urvasivo Rakshasivo. It is the remake of the Tamil film Pyaar Prema Kaadhal.
A poster of ‘Urvasivo Rakshasivo’. (Supplied)
Urvasivo Rakshasivo deals with the conflict between live-in relationships and marriage. The boy wants marriage but the girl wants a live-in.
The most refreshing aspect of this movie is the characterisation of Anu Emanuel’s Sindhu and the wonderful performance of the actress.
There are occasions when Sindhu may come across as both stubborn and spoiled. However, the audience also understands from where Sindhu is coming and the reason for her stubbornness in not wanting to marry.
Director Rakesh Sasi doesn’t tamper with the soul of Sindhu, at any point, even when the lead pair drifts apart.
Most importantly, the happy ending of the story doesn’t come at the cost of squashing Sindhu’s career dreams.
The film also never gets preachy. The scenes depicting the live–in relationship are peppered with much entertainment. Both Sunil and Vennela Kishore brought the house down with their comic timing.
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