This week I saw two pieces of content that had to do with death. #Balagam, yet another gem from Telugu cinema looks at life through the lens of death and #TrialByFire, an inspiring tale of a couple’s fight for justice triggered by the death of their children. For the moment, though, its Director #VenuYeldandi’s #Balagam (group in Telugu). They say #Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it” and this movie is an honest take on how we allow petty grudges to rule our lives and let them fester even at the altar of death.
But first a word about how Telugu cinema has championed Telangana and made the land and the dialect so mainstream, Of course there is “Naatu Naatu” that has gone on to win the Oscars but here is a film set in a typical village in Telangana, capturing every little nuance ever so beautifully. Gone are the days when the dialect was reserved for the comedian to draw a few guffaws and then move on. I love the fact that #Balagam follows no rules; it is unapologetic and unabashed in how it tells a story set among the mud and the dust, the cow dung and the rustic homes. It celebrates folklore and the village songs so well. Cinematographer #AcaharyaVenu’s tight close-ups focus on the wrinkled skin of the old folks, their facial hair, acne and warts..
#balagam is the story of a feud between two families led by Aliayya (#KotaJayaram) and Narayana (#MuralidharGoud) that is based on a petty misunderstanding 20 years ago. Sailu (#PriyadarshiPulikonda) the grandson of the family patriarch Komaraiah (#SudhakarReddy) tries his hand at various businesses but fails. He hatches a plot to get married and pay off his debts using the dowry. Catastrophe rules supreme when the grandfather passed away suddenly. The marriage is broken off again on a petty pretext and the two families are at loggerheads again. What happens in the period post the death is the crux of the story. Meanwhile, Sailu finds love again in the form of Sandhya (#KavyaKalyanRam). Will the families make peace and let the patriarch’s soul rest in peace or will life continue with the bickering?
#Balagam is technically sound. It is a simple story but the script has the nuances of being quirky, whimsical and highlights petty egos including emotional blackmail. On one side, there is the innocence of the villagers and how basic human values and emotions still have agency in our rural areas but on the other hand there are all these eccentric characters that lend that whimsical touch. There is a grandmother who asks Sailu for the snooker ball to give away to her grandson as a toy, and the villager who demands his share of the foreign whisky; so also the tailor (director Venu himself in a quirky role) who loses his mind when people questions him whether the patriarch told him anything. At the funeral scene, an old woman asks for a cold drink amidst all the wailing and chest thumping and at the feast organized as part of the funeral ceremonies, there is an old man who stuffs himself up to the gills with mutton curry and promptly falls sick!
A special word of acknowledgement for the music by #BheemsCeciroleo ; the folksy rustic tunes are sure to keep you engaged. #Balagam is made under the banner of l#DilRajuProductions and produced by #harsithReddy and #HanshithaReddy. I thought casting for the movie deserves full marks as each character leaves an impact. The film is, for sure, a tad too long and tends to get bogged down under its own weight towards the end. The movie has done well in the theaters and on #AmazonPrime where it is being streamed and has also won several accolades including the Los Angeles Cinematography awards and the Washington DC International Cinema Festival. I was reminded in many ways of another film about death, #Thithi in Kannada but I am happiest about the fact that this is true celebration of regional stories told as they are meant to be!
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