Is it the nostalgia that kicks off when Telugu filmmakers borrow the titles of old classics for new films? Or, is it a mere gimmick to woo audiences to theatres?
Friday, 3 May, saw the theatrical release of actor Allari Naresh’s comedy caper Aa Okkati Adakku. Despite not faring well director Malli Ankam says he felt that the title fit the story.
This is not the first time this has happened. There are several instances in the past; say, Rudraveena (1988, 2022), Swathimuthyam (1985, 2022), and more that have done this.
Film critic Anumula Rajababu opines, “Filmgoers are driven by the titles sometimes. Some audiences come to theatres with the expectations that they have from old classics.”
Barring a few, most of the Telugu films, inspired films have bitten the dust at the box office. However, Varun Tej’s 2018 release, Tholi Prema, is one such film that broke the routine.
“Compared to Pawan Kalyan’s Tholi Prema, content and performances of Varun Tej and Raashi Khanna in the 2018 flick were good enough,” points out Rajababu.
Film enthusiast-writer Raja Sathish quips, “I might make a film and give it the title Sholay. If a filmmaker feels that an old title is relevant to his film, he would go with it.”
He elaborates, “Swathi Muthyam (1985) and Sankarabharanam (1980) were two cult films in Telugu cinema. The titles of these old classics were used for two films in 2015 and 2022.”