Aadavari Matalaku Arthale Verule (2007)

I think I have a huge crush on Venkatesh. No, I know that I have a huge crush on Venkatesh, which has been developing ever since I saw him for the first time in Kshana Kshanam (1991), in which his very first scene was iconic. He is, after all, Coolie No. 1- only he and Queen Tabu could have made that movie so memorable for me, and that's why I NEED THEM TO DO ANOTHER MOVIE REAL QUICK ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME ANYMORE UNIVERSE PLEASE MAKE IT HAPPEN. 

Okay, I'm calm again. Anyway. For a few weeks now, I have been telling anyone who'll listen that Venkatesh is my favourite Telugu actor, but now, I think he deserves to be called one of my favourite actors EVER. From his impeccable comic timing, to the way he moves me with his emotional speeches, it's all so special and amazing, and I don't think I am getting over him and his talent anytime soon. Which is also a toned down version of how I feel about Tabu, and MY GOD HOW IS IT FAIR THAT TWO OF THE MOST GIFTED ACTORS IN THE COUNTRY HAVE ONLY ONE MOVIE TOGETHER WHY ARE WE TORMENTED LIKE THIS-

I promise, I am going to talk about the movie now, and not start ranting like a crazy person again. This was probably the most stressed I'd been since 9th grade about watching a movie, due to technological difficulties, but I must say that I am glad that it was this movie, and not any other, because it was so totally worth it (plus, I did learn a new skill). This movie made me laugh so much- I saw the scene where Seenu (Sunil) calls Keerthi (Trisha) three times, because it was sheer genius; it broke my heart and made me cry on multiple occasions; it made me angry at the evil and useless Brahmin patriarchy that pervades our lives in such a sinister manner; and, it made me fall in love with how wholesome it was- special shout out to the non-toxic and healthy friendship between Seenu, Ganesh (Venkyyy) and Vasu (Srikanth). Basically, this movie makes you feel a LOT, and you are really not prepared for the next emotion it's going to make you feel, and yet, it's so light and refreshing and comforting. Even though it was my first time watching this movie, I had a strong sense of familiarity with the characters, because they were written in such a realistic and genuine manner. Ganesh was genuinely such a relatable character for me on so many levels, including the flaws. And Keerthi was reminiscent of so many women who are constantly torn between family and what they desire- I also loved how they never showed her as the "villain", but always as a very confused woman who nevertheless tries her best to be strong-willed and determined no matter the situation that she finds herself in. Lowkey spoiler, but when Vasu leaves his own wedding ceremony to go take care of Ganesh, despite being completely disgusted by him in a previous scene- THIS IS THE FRIENDSHIP REPRESENTATION WE NEED IN CINEMA AND IN REAL LIFE PLS TAKE NOTES EVERYONE. Also, the dynamics between Ganesh and his father (Kota Srinivasa Rao) hit so close to home. I can totally see myself in Ganesh's position, and honestly, I think he was operating on the same parental approach as me- "I don't like my parents, but I do love them. A lot." Well, mostly. What can I say, personality clashes are inevitable when there's such a wide gulf between two lifestyles functioning under the same roof. I don't know man, families are weird.

How could I forget that the very first scene of this movie was iconic enough for me to KNOW that I'm going to end up loving it? It has Sunil, Venky, and an unemployment joke (my favourite since I need humour to cope with my own status as an unemployed human)- what more could one ask for? The music is another treat, both background music and songs complementing the narrative perfectly. Also, Trish said no to the coloniser's language, and we have no choice but to stan a queen who doesn't hesitate to lift a stranger up when she sees them having a hard time. And, can I just fangirl over the fact that they dealt so maturely with Pooja's (Swati Reddy) crush on Ganesh? It was the opposite of cringey, and also fulfilled the purpose of revealing Keerthi's feelings towards Ganesh MY GOD THIS MOVIE IS A MASTERPIECE AND OF COURSE I AM GOING TO REWATCH IT AND BE SHOOK OVER AND OVER AGAIN AT HOW UNUSUALLY GOOD IT IS BY EVERY CONCEIVABLE STANDARD. Which reminds me, Ganesh is not your average Indian cinema "hero"- he is a known loser (forever grateful to my dear Venkatesh for doing justice to such roles) with idiotic tendencies and a lot of the humour is derived at his expense. However, he is also someone with a heart of gold, and that gives the story its emotional centre, and fills it with so much warmth and loveliness that YOU CAN'T HELP BUT CRY WHILE SMILING AT THE SAME TIME BECAUSE DAMMNIT YOU HAVE TOO MANY EMOTIONS. 

In conclusion, I would like to quote Ganesh's father, since nothing else could more aptly describe my lasting feelings for this movie: "Chaala ishtam... LOVEU!"