Pelli Choopulu

Tharun Bhascker's first film, from 2016, is one of the titles that opened the way for small-budget independent work in Telugu cinema. Prasanth is irresponsible, so his father arranges a matchmaking meeting to force him into shape. The woman across from him, Chitra, has clear goals and wants to start a business. The meeting does not produce the intended result but pushes the two of them toward a shared venture, a food truck. The film criticises the pressure to marry without preaching, and never reduces its female lead to an instrument of the man's growth. Part of the story was drawn from a real food truck venture. It won National Film Awards for best Telugu film and for its writing, and Vijay Deverakonda's career opened from here. Who it's for: viewers who like Indian independent romantic comedy and love stories built at a realistic scale. Who it's not for: anyone wanting star spectacle and large-scale song sequences.