Tella Kagitham OTT Review:
Harsh Roshan grabbed attention with his performance in the successful film Court, and since then, he has been seen in stories centred around young characters. His latest film, Tella Kagitham, is now streaming on ETV Win after its theatrical release. Set in the mid-2000s, the film takes us back to a time when teenage love, innocent friendships and life without smartphones had a different charm.
But does Tella Kagitham work as an engaging watch on OTT?
What is the story about?
The story is set in Veeravasaram, a village near Bhimavaram, and takes place around 2006. Ramu (Harsh Roshan) and Asha (Nakshatra) are school students who slowly develop feelings for each other. By the time they enter intermediate college, their friendship turns into love.
Ramu, being young and inexperienced, struggles to express his feelings. With advice from his uncle Bezawada Mavayya (Raj Kumar Kasireddy), he eventually finds a way to tell Asha how he feels. After a brief misunderstanding, Asha also accepts his love.
Things take a turn when another classmate enters their equation. Ramu becomes insecure when he sees Asha talking to him and wants to be the only person in her life. Once again, he seeks his uncle’s advice and ends up making another decision. This time, however, his mistake becomes much bigger than he expected and changes the lives of both Ramu and Asha.
How is the movie?
“Tella Kagitham” tries to focus on how the choices are made by teenagers who are too young to comprehend the concept of love, relationships and their outcomes. “Tella Kagitham” conveys a social message which stresses that youngsters should seek help from their parents instead of following any other person’s guidance.
The major appeal of the film comes from its 2006-07 time setting. Without smartphones and social media, the film successfully depicts the innocent era of teenage love. School and college scenes, innocent discussions and small romantic moments bring back some memories.
The basic concept of the plot is quite good, but the execution part goes against the film’s favor. Writing is somewhat old fashioned and the screenplay lacks the pace. There are number of comic sequences in conversations regarding periods, classrooms, doctors and conductors, but none of them succeeds in generating laughter.
The first half focuses on school life, lunch box distribution, innocent romance and the growth of couple to college. The real conflict starts just before the interval. But the second half fails to escalate the conflict.
Several scenes revolve around the medical shop and college, making the proceedings feel repetitive. The comedy track involving Ramu’s friend (Deepak) works occasionally but doesn’t make a major impact. The climax portions and a few twists are among the better parts of the film.
Since many of the developments are fairly predictable, the emotional moments don’t always land as strongly as they should.
Performances
Harsh Roshan fits the role of a young and confused teenager well. He brings the innocence and uncertainty required for the character through his expressions and performance.
Nakshatra looks natural on screen and delivers a decent performance as Asha. Deepak manages to bring some laughs in the role of Ramu’s friend. Shravya appears as Asha’s friend, while Ajay makes an impression as Ramu’s father.
Raj Kumar Kasireddy and Sharanya Pradeep play important supporting roles and add to the proceedings.
The technical departments do their job well. Guhan’s cinematography captures the village setting nicely, while Vijay Bulganin’s music adds to the mood. Writer Nandu Savarigana and director Ramesh Bandreddy have a good idea at the core, though the execution could have been much sharper. The production values are also decent.
Final Verdict
Tella Kagitham has a relevant message about teenage decisions, innocence and the consequences of blindly following others. Its period setting and Harsh Roshan’s performance are among its positives.
However, the predictable writing, uneven humour and underwhelming emotional moments prevent it from becoming a strong coming-of-age drama.
For viewers who enjoy nostalgic teenage-love stories and simple village-based dramas, Tella Kagitham can be given a try on ETV Win.
Our Take: A simple teenage love story with a meaningful message, but the execution could have been better.
