2019 RECAP: From Jersey & Mallesham to Brochevarevarura & Oh! Baby, these 7 Telugu films are a must watch

To brief up 2019 in Telugu cinema, it’s been a middling year with a flurry of biopics, a couple of visual extravaganzas like Sye Raa and Saaho, quite a few sleeper hits and some memorable performances from both the lead actors and the supporting cast. While the maverick Puri Jagannadh bounced back into form by scoring a remarkable success with iSmart Shankar, Venkatesh proved his credibility as a bankable protagonist when it comes to comedy and family entertainers (F2 & Venky Mama).

2019 witnessed as many as 190 straight Telugu films and several dubbed ones vying for the attention of the audience. However, the one recurring theme which is a big takeaway from the year is the proliferation of low budget films dealing with never-tried-before concepts, genres and stories. As a year-end special, here are the 7 Telugu films of 2019 which are a must watch for every moviegoer.

Jersey is perhaps the finest cricket-based movie ever to be made in South cinema. Directed by Gautam Tinnanuri, the endearing sports-drama traces the life of an aged cricketer who is determined to prove his worth at the age of 36. Along with an emotional plot and mind-boggling climax, the stellar performances of all actors like Nani, Shraddha Srinath and Sathyaraj have aided the film to hit the bull’s eye. Set for a Bollywood remake with Shahid Kapoor, Jersey moves away from the oft-repeated trope of playing to win for the country and ends on a personal-cum-emotional note.

When compared to other genres, thrillers and biopics have ruled the roost in Tollywood in 2019. While NTR biopic has the needed substance to hold the attention of the Telugu audience, it was helmed with a hagiographic approach which eventually led to its downfall at the box-office. Among other biopics like Yatra and George Reddy, the one that stood out was Mallesham. Starring Priyadarshi Pulikonda in the titular role, the film narrated the story of Padma Shri award winning Chintakindi Mallesham who invented the ‘Asu machine’ which processes yarn mechanically. The innovative indigenous device has reduced the time taken to weave a Pochampally Ikat sari from about six hours to an hour and a half. It has revolutionised the productivity of handloom weavers in several parts of the country.

Detective thrillers are quite rare in Telugu cinema and Agent Sai Srinivasa Athreya brought in a whiff of fresh air to the genre. Starring actor and co-writer Naveen Polishetty as a home-grown detective from Nellore, the film is directed by debutante Swaroop RSJ who perfectly narrated a serious story of crime cloaked with humour. Along with the incredible performances of Naveen and Shruti Sharma, the riveting screen-play and striking dialogues have struck the right chord with the viewers. Helmed on a shoe-string budget, the film registered a notable success in both the Telugu states and the US.

Following her impeccable performances in films like U Turn, Super Deluxe and Majili, Samantha Akkineni has proved her mettle as a complete actress with Oh! Baby. Though the family-drama is the official remake of South Korean film ‘Miss Granny’, director Nandini Reddy did a splendid job by bringing the nativity factor into the plot and extracting commendable performances from her star cast. Along with Sam, seasoned actors like Lakshmi, Rajendra Prasad and Rao Ramesh have nailed their roles to perfection and entertained the audience big time. The film showcased the story of a 70-year-old grandma who magically finds herself in the body of her 25-year-old self after clicking a picture in a mysterious studio.

After impressing the Telugu cinegoers with his maiden directorial Mental Madhilo, Vivek Athreya came up with ‘Brochevarevarura’ in 2019 and hit the bull’s eye yet again. Starring Sree Vishnu, Nivetha Thomas, Rahul Ramakrishna and Priyadarshi in lead roles, the comic thriller proved that you don’t need over-the-top plots and big budgets to pull off a whacky, crazy comedy that makes you laugh and keeps you hooked right till the end.

With Evaru, Adivi Sesh once again proved his credibility as a versatile actor who opts for interesting scripts. This Telugu adaption of Spanish thriller ‘The Invisible Guest’ performed exceedingly well at the box-office and besides the spectacular performances of Sesh and Regina Cassandra, the brilliant work by all the technicians has been applauded big time. First-time director Venkat Ramji did a commendable job when it came to packing a punch with a brilliant screenplay and keeping the viewers’ guessing till the end.

The only dubbed film in the list is Khaidi and it certainly deserves a mention. With no heroine and no songs, the film is loaded with tense moments, chasing sequences and high-octane action episodes which will make you hold your breath. Starring Karthi as a desperate father who is eager to meet his daughter for the first time in ten years, the road-thriller stood strong at the box-office as a testimony to the power of 'word of mouth'. Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, the entire proceedings of Khaidi take place in a single night and Karthi plays the role of Dilli, a former prisoner who has served a 10-year term in jail.