BOTTOM LINE
Set-Up Over Substance
RATING
2.25/5
CENSOR
U/A, 2h 16m
What Is the Film About?
Telusu Kada revolves around Varun (Siddhu Jonnalagadda) and his relationship journey. The film explores his life goals, what shapes him and what happens after he gets married following a breakup. The story dives into how his ex re-enters his married life, the ensuing conflicts between Varun, his wife (Raashii Khanna) and his ex (Srinidhi Shetty) and ultimately whether he achieves the happy, dream life he had hoped for. This forms the core of the story of Telusu Kada.
Performances
Siddhu Jonnalagadda plays Varun and makes his mark right from the first scene. He brings a commanding screen presence along with a subtle yet strong attitude that elevates several moments in the film. His styling is on point, and he looks good on screen. He also gets a few performance-heavy blocks and delivers them convincingly. Overall, the film benefits a lot from his character and the way he carries it throughout.
Raashii Khanna plays the female lead and does a decent job, but there isn’t a standout scene or moment that leaves a lasting impact. The same applies to Srinidhi Shetty. While both deliver neat performances, there’s nothing particularly memorable about their roles once you step out of the theater.
Analysis
Telusu Kada, directed by Neeraja Kona, a well-known stylist making her directorial debut uses a simple and familiar plot but adds a slight edge through the lead character’s attitude and a touch of complexity in the relationships.
Right from the start, expectations are clearly set. The film opens with Siddhu’s character, establishing his personality, breakup, followed by his wedding, and his life post-relationship. Everything is introduced neatly.
The dialogue writing keeps the film engaging, even though the story mostly revolves around a handful of characters. However, the first half misses the mark in delivering a truly organic feel. Every conflict Siddhu faces feels staged or familiar, with even simple tropes repeated. For instance, the reason Raga played by Srinidhi Shetty stays in Siddhu’s home follows a predictable pattern -a small example of how much of the first half feels like a setup rather than something natural.
There are a couple of songs, and they fit well within the narrative, visually also quite neat. Despite the familiar beats, the short, sharp dialogues maintain a fair level of interest. The major credit goes to Siddhu, his attitude and performance carry the film effortlessly. There’s no true interval bang, but the first half remains fairly decent and watchable.
As the second half progresses, the major conflict is introduced early on: Rashi Kanna’s character makes a life-changing decision regarding her relationship with Siddhu. Even this crucial turning point is handled abruptly, without any convincing drama or emotion. It feels artificial, and the rest of the second half largely revolves around this turn.
The subsequent conversations between the two women and Siddhu also feel inorganic, with little to no emotion coming through. Even the songs in the second half fail to match the charm of those in the first half.
Attempts at comedy, like a home function scene, feel awkward and disrupt the film’s tone, shifting abruptly from drama to humor.
The artificiality of the conflict becomes most apparent toward the end, when Siddhu’s character achieves the dream of a baby and a family, yet it generates almost no emotion. This highlights how the relationship drama was constructed without proper organic writing.
While the director attempts to present the relationships and struggles in a fresh way, the lack of experience in presenting and conviction is a significant drawback.
Overall, Telusu Kada can be watched once, with very moderate expectations, mainly for Siddhu Jonnalagadda’s attitude and the slight fresh spin in the story. But it’s important to know what to expect: this film is not for everyone.
Performances by Others Actors
Telusu Kada is a film that largely runs with a handful of characters, and one of the key supporting roles is played by Harsha Chemudu. It’s a real relief to see a director finally make good use of him. His dialogue delivery and comic timing bring a refreshing change and break the stereotype he has been stuck with so far.
Harsha’s performance adds energy to several scenes, and the friendly, easy-going attitude he brings works well for the story. Credit also goes to the writing behind his character, which gives him enough space to shine. He’s a good addition to the film.
Music and Other Departments?
Thaman composes the music, and a couple of songs work really well as standalone tracks. Both these songs are placed in the first half, and they’re visually shot beautifully adding good value to the film.
When it comes to the background score, Thaman delivers score that fits the moody tone of the narrative. Those expecting his usual loud or stylish BGM might be disappointed, but here he stays in sync with the film’s overall theme.
The cinematography by Gnana Shekar is impressive, giving the film a pleasing visual appeal. Production values by People Media Factory are decent.
Highlights?
Siddhu Jonnalagadda’s screen presence and attitude
Intrigue in the first half
Two songs
Sharp dialogues and effective writing
Drawbacks?
Conflicts feel staged and forced
Weak second half
No emotional connect
Ordinary and underwritten female characters
Did I Enjoy It?
Not really, but the first half held my interest to some extent
Will You Recommend It?
Not for everyone. It’s important to know what to expect and it ranks low among relationship dramas.
U.S. Premiere Report:
#TelusuKada: Set-Up Over Substance
2.25/5
First half engages mainly due to Siddhu’s screen presence, effortless attitude and some sharp dialogue writing. But, as the story progresses conflicts feel like a mere setup and fail to generate real emotion.
While there’s an attempt to present a relationship drama in a fresh way, the conviction is missing. Watch it with right expectations. Detailed review soon.
— Telusu Kada started with an emotional breakup scene. Varun (Siddhu) kicks off with a performance-oriented start. Stay tuned for the report.
Stay tuned for Telusu Kada Review, U.S. Premiere report, show begins at 6 PM EST (3.30 AM IST).
Neeraja Kona is making her directorial debut with Siddhu Jonnalagadda, and Telusu Kada is promised to be a radical emotional ride. Stay tuned for the U.S. premiere report.
Cast: Jonnalagadda | Raashii Khanna | Srinidhi Shetty | Harsha Chemudu
Written & Directed by: Neerraja Kona
Producers: TG Vishwa Prasad, Krithi Prasad
Music: Thaman S
Director of Photography: Gnana Shekar VS
Editor: Navin Nooli
Costume Designers: Sheetal, Lanka Santhoshi
U.S. Distributor: Prathyangira Cinemas
Telusu Kada Movie Review by M9
