2016: Revisiting The Year's Best Entertainers

As 2016 draws to a close, IndiaGlitz revisits the best entertainers. Tollywood was at its colorful best this year, dishing out industry hits and sleeper hits with equal panache. Concepts and ides ruled the roost, more than the stars. Not that Summer didn't disappoint. If remakes/adaptations (read 'Oopiri', 'A Aa', 'Premam', 'Dhruva') made their mark, thrillers like 'Kshanam', 'Gentleman' and 'Ekkadiki Pothavu Chinnavada' won instant applause. Yes, there were coming-of-age films like 'Pelli Choopulu' and 'Jyo Achutananda', too.

Nenu Sailaja

A combo of rom-com and family entertainer, this one welcomed the year with an easy hit. Director Kishore Tirumala (of 'Second Hand' fame) now became a much sought-after talent. If Ram Pothineni finally had a cool hit, thereby receiving a fillip to his career, the film marked the entry of a girl who would go on to become a star heroine: Keerthy Suresh. Sathyaraj, Prince and Sreemukhi contributed their mite in making this a BO hit.

Killing Veerappan

This film is easily one of RGV's most grippingly told stories in a long, long time. A Shivarajkumar film, he looks every bit the ruthless cop he plays. 'Killing Veerappan' is more about intensity than authenticity. The focus is on the cop leading the operation and Shivarajkumar is every bit intense in his expression and every bit kosher in his demeanor. Sandeep Bharadwaj's metamorphosis into Veerappan is incredible. Yes, some of them did complain about the cinematic liberties, but then didn't RGV say that it was the truth as he knew it?

Nannaku Prematho

Although a haltingly intelligent film, 'Nannaku Prematho' brings out Sukumar's attention to detail. NTR got a resounding hit. Sukumar, who was smarting under the failure of '1: Nenokkadine', got a huge fillip. From 'Follow Follow' to 'Love Me Again', the dances became expressions of grace. Above all, NTR's trendy look was a surprise the cinegoers loved to lap it up. Jagapathi Babu's hyped-up character had its many takers. And who can forget the scene where the hospitalized father (Rajendra Prasad), confident about his son's mission, asks a demoralized son (NTR), "Krishnamurthy ki time entha icchav?"

Soggade Chinni Nayana

The romantic Bangarraju (Nagarjuna), his native Godavari accent, his evergreen chemistry onscreen with beauties, his spell-binding 'teevi', the Coastal Andhra nativity, a language that is boisterously out of tune with the routine 'Tegulu' in Telugu movies: All of these and more defines 'SCN'. If Nag is that quintessential 'soggadu', Ramya Krishna doesn't give a reason to be called a yesteryear female lead! She is irreplaceable as much as Nag is. That's what debutante Kalyan Krishna achieved with this film.

Express Raja

Modelled after the screenplay technique of 'Vantage Point', this film blends this imported technique with the quirky comedy of the South Indian variety. Merlapaka Gandhi writes a range of curious characters (played by Sapthagiri, Urvashi, Shakalaka Shankar, Dhanraj and Supreet), most of which are interlinked to one particular incident. The incident changes the course of many lives and the same is revealed in installments. No wonder that Sharwanand had a dekko with this comedy of errors.

KVPG

The rib-tickling situations involving Nani, Mehreen, and Satyam Rajesh, the cat-and-mouse chases that engage Nani and three children (Baby Naini, Master Pratham, and Baby Moksha) in a roller-coaster ride, the element of a race against time, and Nani's metamorphosis into a bold youngster: All of these define 'Krishnagaadi Veera Prema Gadha'. And who can forget the super hit song 'Nuvvante naa navvu' and lines like "Migatha ammayilu yedisthe parvaledu, nuvvu yedisthe kallu masipothay"?

Kshanam

The biggest sleeper hit of the year after 'Pelli Choopulu', more than the story, it's the screenplay which makes 'Kshanam' an immensely watchable one. Even a much-explored technique like non-linear narration is not deployed superficially here. The rom-com element is thankfully underplayed and the flashback is not over until you are done with the film! It is Sheneil Deo's pleasant cinematography and Sri Charan's dexterous background music that really perk up the appeal. Defying the conventions, director Ravikanth Perepu keeps this potential tearjerker of an element (the Adivi Sesh-Adah Sharma story) simple and un-melodramatic. And yes, Anasuya Bharadwaj's demeanor, aplomb and dialogue delivery make the film all the more snazzy.

Oopiri

For one, the Nagarjuna-Karthi bromance is the film's biggest strength. This adaptation of a French film comes with memorable performances, neat writing, and a deft technical texture. 'Oopiri' steals a march over others by the very fact that bromantic dramas are rare to come by in Telugu. If you haven't watched the original, you would think that some of the elements are the creation of Oopiri's writers. As they say, some dramas are universal. This is one such. No wonder that this film went on to do so very well at the Box Office.

Sarrainodu

Although opened to a mixed talk, 'Sarrainodu' turned out to be one of the biggest hits in the history of Telugu cinema. The characterization of Allu Arjun as an indefatigable one-man army, that of Aadi Pinisetty as a ruthless villain who can't stand anybody touching his clients (much less him), a court scene that is well-spent to build tempo around the hero's yet-to-be-waged 'dandayatra', and an interval bang that has the hero convey a lot of emotions with just three words - such elements made the film what it is. Thaman's music should also be counted as the biggest mass musical 'blockbuster' of the year.

A Aa

What works for 'A Aa' is that there are no scenes that overstay, there is no

As 2016 draws to a close, IndiaGlitz revisits the best entertainers. Tollywood was at its colorful best this year, dishing out industry hits and sleeper hits with equal panache. Concepts and ides ruled the roost, more than the stars. Not that Summer didn't disappoint. If remakes/adaptations (read 'Oopiri', 'A Aa', 'Premam', 'Dhruva') made their mark, thrillers like 'Kshanam', 'Gentleman' and '