Middle Class Melodies
Ratings: 4.5/5
Duration: 2 Hrs. 15 Mins
Language: Telugu
Genre: Comedy-Drama
Director: Vinod Ananthoju
Writer: Janardhan Pasumarthi, Vinod Ananthoju
Producers: Venigalla Anand Prasad
Music: Sweekar Agasthi, RH Vikram
Cinematography: Sunny Kurapati
Editing: Ravi Teja Girijala
Release Date: 20 November, 2020
Released On: Amazon Studios
Star Cast: Anand Devarakonda, Varsha Bollamma, Chaitanya Garikipati, Divya Sripada, Goparaju Ramana, Surabhi Prabhavati, Prem Sagar, Prabhavati Varma, Deshi, Katta Anthony, Mahipal, Chanakya Tejas, Tharun Bhascker
Plot:
Middle Class Melodies is all about Raghava (Anand Devarakonda) who is an expert in making Bombay Chutney in his village. One fine day he feels that it is time to move to the city and earn big bugs through a hotel business.
Review:
The movie is based on India’s middle-class families, and of course is relatable. There is a fair share of events that most people would be able to relate to. Even if middle-class life is not happening and exciting all the time, it is not derived of drama in everyday life!
Raghava (Anand Devarakonda) has entrepreneurial aspirations. He takes pride in his ability to make the best ‘Bombay chutney’ in his town. And he also strongly believes that his ‘Bombay chutney’ recipe, which he inherited from his mother, is his ticket to good fortune and success. He wants to take Guntur by storm by starting a tiffin centre in the city.
The Guntur Song from Middle Class Melodies looks extremely pleasing for food lovers. But food has a bigger role in the film, beyond aesthetics, says debut director Vinod. The film tells the story of a man named Raghava (Anand), who moves to Guntur city from a village called Kolakaluru.
“Guntur’s street food culture is very important to the film. Raghava is an outsider to the city, and he wants to come and make his own mark in an already flourishing food industry. So it was very important to showcase this strong local food culture,” says Vinod.
It helped that Vinod and Janardhan Pasumarthi, who wrote the dialogues for the film, grew up in Guntur. For Vinod- all the places and foods referenced in the song like the Pulihora dosa in Brodipet and Gongura chicken in Brundavanam are places that he would visit regularly with his friends.
The filmmakers have made efforts to keep the film rooted in Guntur, from workshopping the dialect with the lead actors to recruiting most of the supporting cast from the local theatre circuits. Non-lead actors dominates the show with their natural performances is the main highlight of this movie. Goparaju Ramana as Anand Deverakonda’s father steals the show. His dialogue delivery and body language provides the adequate comic relief.
The film, for its realistic performances, simple drama, neat romance, and decent narration make this is an endearing watch!
