Jathi Ratnalu

Anudeep K. V.'s 2021 Telugu film is a comedy built on absurdity. Three friends leave their village for the city to look for work; none of them is especially capable, their plans do not hold and each attempt makes things worse. A lost phone lands them under a minister's blackmail and events stretch as far as prison. The film is not looking for logic; the jokes come from the speed of the dialogue, the characters' self-belief and situations chasing one another. At a time when hero-centred action comedy dominated Telugu cinema, putting three entirely incompetent men at the centre drew notice. It opened during the pandemic and became an unexpected box office success. Who it's for: viewers who like Telugu comedy and absurd humour. Who it's not for: anyone expecting a coherent plot; the film refuses one deliberately.