Committee Kurrollu Review

Niharika Konidela’s production venture “Committee Kurrollu” has hit the screens today. Directed by debutant Yadhu Vamshi, the movie features 11 relatively newcomers as lead actors. The film managed to generate a decent buzz with its songs and trailers. Let’s check how it turned out to be.

What is it about?

The story is set in Purushothampalle village of West Godavari district, focusing on 11 friends. All of them spend their childhood together and study in the same school. However, things change once they pass intermediate. Differentiation based on caste and class emerges among these adolescent teenagers and erupts into differences between them. The Jathara in the village takes place every 12 years and plays a key role in their lives. How the Jathara plays an important role in changing the dynamics of their friendship forms the main crux of the movie.

Performances:

The film got its casting right. Every one of the 11 friends did a commendable job. Especially, Sandeep Saroj (Shiva), Trinadh Varma (Subbu), Eshwar Rachiraju (William), Yashwanth Pendyala (Surya) and Prasad Behara (Peddodu) stand out with their performances. Sai Kumar was routine in his role. It feels like he has become a stereotypical villain in these kinds of movies. Goparaju Ramana was decent but his character doesn’t create any impact. Rest others performed as per the limitations of their roles.

Technicalities:

Writer and director Yadhu Vamshi chose his real-life incidents and weaved them into a story. The rootedness and authenticity were brought out very well through writing. However, he faltered in turning his real-life experiences into a breezy cinematic experience. He showed his command in the first half but lost steam in the second half, especially towards the end. Rather than including the elections track, he should have stuck to the friendship track, which was the crux of the movie.

Raju Edurolu’s cinematography is very good. He captured the Godavari localities and the Jathara sequences exceptionally well. His work added a sense of realism to the movie. Anudeep Dev’s music deserves special mention as it is one of the major highlights of the film. Anudeep’s background score played a crucial role in enhancing the mood of certain scenes. The songs were decent but won’t make it to your playlists. The editing by Anwar Ali is adequate, and the production values were decent for a low-budget film.

Thumbs Up:

Casting
Music
Nostalgic Moments

Thumbs Down:

Election Track
Second half
Lack of Emotional Connect

Analysis:

Rarely do we encounter such rooted and relatable scripts in Telugu cinema. Director Yadhu Vamshi takes us on a nostalgic ride in the first half hour of the film. The 90s kids will connect with the story very well. The bond between friends, first love, and the banter are all portrayed in a simple yet effective manner. Things take a serious turn towards the end of the first half. The interval sequence is one of the major highlights of the movie and leaves a lasting impact on the audience.

After watching such a refreshing first half, the audience would expect more in the second half. However, the director lost grip on the proceedings as the second half progressed. The election track was not handled effectively and didn’t add any depth to the core plot of the film. After a point, one would feel like the main story of the film has ended and it is just being dragged with unnecessary scenes. The election song, which features Niharika Konidela, didn’t fit into the story at all.

If only the director managed to maintain the same freshness and authenticity in the second half and cut the election track, Committee Kurrollu would have been more engaging. Now, it just ends up as a decent attempt but not as a memorable film.

Verdict: Bumpy Nostalgic Ride

Rating: 2.5/5