Yavade Subramanyam

Nag Ashwin's first film follows a corporate worker focused on his career. Subramanyam is interested in nothing but advancement; after a series of events he sets out on a journey to the Himalayas and begins questioning his own measures. The film does not fall entirely into the known traps of self-discovery narratives. The mountain journey is not presented as enlightenment; Subramanyam returns as the same ambitious man, with only his sense of what matters and how much having changed. Nani leads. Vijay Deverakonda appears here in an early role and became one of the best-known names in Telugu cinema in the years that followed. Nag Ashwin worked at very different scales in his later films. The cinematography is strong in the Himalayan sections. Who it's for: those who like Telugu drama built around a journey. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a fast narrative; the film is long and its pace drops noticeably in the middle.