Aapadbandhavudu (1992)

After watching Aapadbandhavudu, I was shocked to learn that it had "under-performed" at the box office. It has all the elements necessary to make a classic Chiranjeevi movie- the action sequences, the DANCE, the impossible but very necessary romance, the comedy, the rich and poignant human drama, and of course, a canvas for Megastar to showcase exactly why he is deserving of that title. What makes the underwhelming box-office response even more surprising is that in the very same year, Chiru delivered one of his career-defining hits, Gharana Mogudu. 

Two of the biggest factors, however, that make this movie a "must-watch" for me are the caste dynamics and the treatment of mental health. Both these things are rarely done right in Hindi cinema, which is what I have predominantly consumed my entire life, so it's quite refreshing to find better examples in movies from the South. And when combined with a brilliant performer like Chiranjeevi, these heavy topics seem almost effortless. Consider, for example, how he lends a layer of ambiguity to his character in the mental asylum- I, personally, was never sure if he really hadn't gone insane. It was riveting to watch, to say the least, and it made me concentrate harder on what was unfolding on screen. 

The movie is not just a one-man show helmed by Chiru though. Everyone else in the cast is brilliant- Meenakshi Seshadri, Jandhyala, Sarath Babu, Allu Ramalingaiah and Geetha deserve special praise for their performances. The music is powerful yet never overpowering- it fits in so perfectly with the narrative. Needless to say, the 'Chukkallara Choopullara' song has been added to my lullabies playlist. As for the dances, I don't think I will get over how majestic Chiru and Meenakshi were as Mahadev and his consort. In my humble opinion, that bit alone is reason enough to never stop thinking about this movie. Also, the way this movie focuses on female desire is truly beautiful. Rarely does physical expression of love and desire from a female point of view get depicted so sensitively in Indian cinema, that too from the 90s (war flashbacks) but K. Viswanath is a genius. And so is Meenakshi Seshadri. I love, LOVE that sequence so much, I can't even formulate words anymore. Sublime.

I am looking forward to more of K. Viswanath in my life soon. Something tells me I will not regret it. 

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