How Is That for a Monday?

Watched this film at the Chennai film festival. It's strong in script but technically lacks a few elements. If we eliminate those factors, it's a well made film to satisfy the audience. Whole theatre enjoyed many moments. Lighting in some scenes, and the edit is a bit distracting, but overall it's a feel good, light hearted funny movie with a message. Geniune attempt.

Watched it at OC film festival yesterday. It is a thriller from the start to the end where two unlikely storylines come together. The transitions from one scene to the next is superb. All the characters acted very well. Yolanda, Shyam, Chris and the police acted awesome. It's hard to believe this is the first of Sripal's movies. He is better than a lot of the current Telugu directors. Thoroughly enjoyed the one and half hour movie with some friends. We are certainly looking forward to the nationwide release. We should encourage more independent film makers with low budget.. that's when the creativity comes out.

Upon, full completion of the feature; I am very proud to say I have learned more about how dedication prevails leaving this money packaged up as an efficient thematic construct that really held me in my seat gripped in, start to finish. I am astonished to see how such a flick, with little I know on budget, can be such an efficiently designed feature, I think EVERYONE should take some tips from this director, and how hard work can prevail over DILUTING a feature WITH MONEY MONEY MONEY, humbled to see such a movie for these areas, with how diluted the movie scene has become/ casting is A+, along with the color composition just had this raw natural undertone that I fell in love with.

A neat film with some twists and turns with the connect of Akshaya Tritiya(Hindu festival). A relevant subject matter is told with a right dose. I'm personally a fan of movies that end happily and this film does that job just right.

First of all this is a brilliant piece of entertaining, engaging, nuanced, hillarious, subtle, non-political, non-ideological, heart-warming movie. I am very very proud that this is a Telugu movie (albeit majority is in English) made by a person of Telugu origin.

Acting: The acting in this movie was too good. It is the only movie that I have seen where American actors (white/Latino/African-American) acted so well. Each and everyone was natural, subtle, not overly dramatic. I do not think any other Indian movie can ever boast this.

Humor: The humor was situational comedy that felt real, simple and brought a smile to everone's face. It's not cheap comedy we se in Telugu movies generated at the expense of ridiculing /shaming someone for their skin-tone or body-shape or status in life. I do not remember watching Indian comedy that wasn't cringe. Let's not even talk about Telugu comedy in the recent years/decade.

Well written characters: When did anyone see a Telugu movie with realistic human characters, well-made , well enacted without too much of soapy drama or cringe? I can only remember Shekhar Kammula (Anand, Godavari. Leader, Fidaa, Dollar Dreams) or the great K. Viswanath (especially my fav Swarnakamalam). No wonder, it is him that is recommending this movie to fellow Indians/Telugus.

While watching the movie, I had a huge smile on my face from beginning till the end. I got to watch this movie for free, out of sheer luck. This was featured by a friend of the director at a Give Campaign Event here at Microsoft HQ in Redmond for October Give Campaign Event. Huge thanks to Laxmi Dharmatej Sampathi Rao, Vikram and others for organizing the event. My review might just be a drop in an ocean but every drop counts I guess.

Lastly, the undercurrent of this movie, atleast for me was karma- improtance of doing your job/duty well and that no job or piece of work is insignificant or beneath you . Or as we say ---Karmanyevadhikaresthe Maphaleshu Kadachana - Makarma phalaheturbho Matesangostvakarmani.