PITTA KATHALU
Interesting anthology is let down by inconsistent writing
Starring: Shruti Haasan, Lakshmi Manchu, Amala Paul Director: Nag Ashwin, BV Nandini Reddy, Tharun Bhascker, Sankalp Reddy
THE new Netflix release is a Telugu language anthology drama consisting of four unconnected standalone short films, which delve into diverse subjects and have different directors.
The only thing binding these movies is the common theme of love and lust.
The first of these stories, Ramula, revolves around a woman who can’t get her goodfor-nothing boyfriend to commit and takes a drastic decision.
The second story, Meera, is about an attractive young woman stuck in a toxic marriage to a much older man and desperate to get out.
The third, xLife, is set in a dystopian future and looks at how
technology has destroyed emotions, including love. The final one, Pinky, looks at the messy layers of an extramarital affair.
Instead of being one anthology film, how it was intended to be, Netflix presents Pitta Kathalu as a four-part anthology drama and that was perhaps a wise decision because the quality is not maintained throughout.
Although each film has sharp camerawork, decent direction and strong performances, the writing is inconsistent, which means it would unlikely engage audiences to watch them in one go. Ramula and Pinky start off well, but they aren’t able to build on the initial premise. What remains with these two short films
are missed opportunities to tell more compelling stories about interesting characters.
The sci-fi slanted xLife film has plenty of originality in it and is quite thought-provoking in a few places.
By far the best in this anthology is undoubtedly Meera, which is a perfect combination of a strong storyline, deft direction and great performances, elevating the material further.
Fans of Telugu cinema will appreciate Pitta Kathalu more than a wider audience. Overall, this was an interesting attempt, which should have resulted in a much better end result and the only one worth watching is the excellent