BOTTOM LINE
Chinna Katha Kaadu Chudalsina Katha
RATING
3/5
CENSOR
U, 2h 25m
What Is the Film About?
Arun (Arun Dev) is the elder child of Prasad (Vishwadev Rachakonda) and Saraswati (Nivetha Thomas). He is a class sixth student, but demoted to fifth because he can’t understand maths. Things go on normally until Chanakya (Priyadarshi) is appointed as the new maths teacher of his class. One thing leads to another, and it ends up in a situation where passing Maths becomes the ultimate test for Arun and his family.
Did Arun fulfil the parent’s expectations? Who helps him in the process? The challenges his parents face are what the movie is all about.
Performances
Nivetha Thomas is the movie’s heart and soul. She delivers a memorable act without breaking a sweat and an ounce of overacting. It is subtle all the way and hits all the notes perfectly.
The character requires Nivetha to have consistent chemistry with both the husband and son in their respective emotional spaces. She nails them both perfectly. She gets the major deal in the second half with a gamut of expressions to deal with and everything is dealt with in a manner that leaves us with a pleasant feel.
Priyadarshi gets a one-note character of a strict teacher. He does his part well in that he manages to get that ‘hate’ required for the role to work. However, the one-dimensional approach related to the part and its progress doesn’t let it soar to the intended high.
Vishwadev Rachakonda too suffers from the same problem as Priyadarshi. But, it doesn’t get to that one-dimensional space as we haven’t seen much of him and he has chemistry with his wife that’s lovely. An element of freshness works in his favour.
The role of the kid, played by Arun Dev, who is central to the whole plot, is well-executed. The emotions required for the proceedings are conveyed effectively. This kid deserves a big round of applause for delivering such a subtle performance at his age.
Analysis
Nanda Kishore Emani writes and directs 35 Chinna Katha Kadu. It is a simple slice-of-life drama where the kid coming of age along with family is the main point.
Within the first few minutes, when the world of Arun and his family is established we know the director knows the world he is presenting. The writing and the characters smoothly blend into the narrative and help in overcoming the lag that one feels narratively.
The simple world with routine and relatable emotion within family and school is shaken when a new maths teacher arrives in the form of Chanakya. The way he isolates Arun and how things proceed flow organically and we connect to the plight of the kid. The plot keeps us hooked despite nothing much happening story-wise.
The main core point related to the movie is also established in this process, but given everything else that is happening around the boy, it takes a back seat.
The small moments are what make one engaged in the proceedings. The cute husband and wife relationship, the addressing of the kids by their marks, the friendship among the kids, the equation between the brothers – the writing that’s associated with all these evokes genuine emotion. The slow pace doesn’t become an issue as a result.
The narrative then reaches the interval in the same vein. It is a big moment within the world that’s established although that may not be the case otherwise. To the characters that we see on screen, it is a big deal and the fact that we feel that to some degree is where the movie succeeds.
The second half starts on an unexpected note and then moves into the core conflict of the movie. It is about the kid overcoming the hurdle related to maths and the mother overcoming personal challenges in the process. Both are intertwined narratively.
What follows next is formulaic, no doubt, but the honesty and emotions that flow in the proceedings make one hooked to the proceedings. The writing gives that feel-good impression that is so necessary with tales like these.
The climax is satisfactory and serves its purpose. It hits the right note in uplifting the mood. The good thing is that, while one might expect some form of message preaching or melodrama in the climax, the director breaks that expectation which works infavor of the film break the routine cliche.
The mother’s explanatory scene of ’10-01′ difference works big time and from there, the movie has moments that keeps us hooked till the end.
This is a film that deserves to be supported in theaters for its intent and the beautiful effort by the team. It would be a disservice to wait for the movie to be available on OTT.
Overall, 35 Chinna Katha Kadu has a lot going right for it and such flow concerning the writing, performances, music and editing is a rare thing to see. They help us overcome the issues and leave us with a warm smile at the end. If you want to watch something heartwarming with relatable acts in a realistic way, try it.
Performances by Others Actors
The seniors Bhagyaraj and Gauthami feel wasted. They are not inconsequential, but their presence leads us to some expectations which aren’t met. The kids are excellent. Arun Dev, who played the main child role, performed it like a pro. The kid who played the studious kid did well and his sequences worked. The emotions required for the proceedings are conveyed effectively. The actor playing his brother, his (girl) friend Kiran and others like the class Monitor boy are all well cast. They do their jobs adequately and elevate the proceedings when they get the key scenes.
Music and Other Departments?
Vivek Sagar provides the music for the movie. The songs don’t particularly register as standalone audio, but within the narrative they are fine. They neatly help elevate the mood along with the background score. It’s a good thing we don’t hear the BGM loud or forced, but it neatly blends with the mood of the film. The movie is a low-budget fare, and the cinematography reflects it. Still, it’s alright within the confines of the space. The editing is neat, barring a brief stretch towards the end where things look a little rushed (Exam writing track overboard hungama). The writing is superb and a major asset for the flick. There are plenty of dialogues which register instantly and leaves an impression. At the same time, they are not melodramatic.
Highlights?
Awesome performance by Nivetha
Writing and dialogues
Casting
BGM
Drawbacks?
Intermittent lag
Some boring moments
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
This is a sure-watch if you enjoy simple, relatable stories with genuine moments and don’t mind the slow pace.
35 – Chinna Katha Kaadu Movie Review by M9
