Cinema Bandi - You Oughta Be in Pictures

 

Cinema Bandi

2021, Telugu

Directed by Praveen Kandregala

Stars

Vikas Vasistha ...Veerababu

Sandeep Varanasi...Ganapathi

Rag Mayu...Maridesh Babu

Trishara Trishara...Divya

Munivenkatappa...Thaatha

Uma Yaluvalli Gopalappa...Manga

Sindhu Sreenivasa Murthy...Sindhu

Watch it on Netflix.

Mohan's Measure ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Once again, the village serves as backdrop to a beautiful little slice of life film.  At times, Cinema Bandi reminds you of The Gods Must Be Crazy; a mere accident suddenly changing life for an otherwise uncomplicated tribe.

But, the intent of the film is more positive, showing how this little piece of technology ignites the community to a common good, and brings an upwardly mobile young woman in tune with deeper sentiments.

The entire cast and crew of the film are first-timers, but are most impressive in presenting the story of Veerababu and his cast of kooky friends, who come up with a get rich quick scheme after finding an expensive camera in the back of his auto-rickshaw.  Opting out of renting the equipment for weddings, the crew decide the best thing to do is make a movie, one that will not only make money for them, but bring much needed funds to the people of a starving village.

Most telling in the story are snippets of the actual owner's recordings; images of parties and barbecues as she and her friends peruse the countryside.  Veerababu and friends certainly watch; not for titilation, but merely out of curiosity. They give the feeling of watching a National Geographic special about some unknown, indigenous tribe, rather than views of the 21st Century India.  The director effectively contrasts this with their attempting to act with the village women, who blush at the mere mention of a romantic scene in the film.

The beauty and charm of South Asia at its best, Cinema Bandi is a feel-good movie you can watch with the whole family.