Mahanati

I wanted to give it 9 stars because movie did take artistic liberty with a few of the scenes, but I have nothing but praise for how they went about making this film.

The parallel story to help us connect with the past is brilliant story telling. The research done by the costume department paired with the cinematography of Dani Sanchez-Lopez gives us the closest one can come to time traveling into the past while staying put. Venkateswara Rao Kotagiri's editing features seamless transitions when switching between time periods and helps with Savithri's aging process without abrupt change. The soundtracks and background music isn't you typical people breaking into song and dance but an extension to the emotions experienced by the characters. The director can pat his back for the casting. You have given a chance for Keerthi to show her acting skills. The support cast did a great job too. Samanth's dialog delivery at the end of the film gave me goosebumps. DQ's performance as a charmer translated across the screen.

This is the sort of cinema I have been waiting for. If film making is one of the prominant art forms of contemporary telugu people, the commercial mass films do little to progress the art form. There is art for art's sake. There is art for a reason. This film is definitely the latter. I have often wondered how we went from the likes of Satyajit Ray to what we have today. This film is what I have missed for a long time. It makes me proud of my heritage. I cant wait to watch some of the older films featured in this film.

It left me teary eyed and stronger somehow. Thank you Nag Ashwin for this work. I will follow your career closely from now on.