Cinemabandi Review - A delightful treat for cinema lovers, straight from the village!
Akash
Have you ever watched a movie and resonated with it within seconds into the run-time? Been moved by the subtle emotions and felt the life in a picture, without having to feel it's a movie made by an actual crew? Netflix’s ‘Cinemabandi’ directed by Praveen Kandregula gives you this unique experience that you should not miss out on. With a wave of fresh actors and an extremely simple plot, this product is sure to win your heart. What makes this little gem so magnanimous? Read further to find out.
Cinemabandi is the story of an autorickshaw driver in a village named Gollapally, who stumbles upon a Sony Alpha camera left behind by one of the passengers. He, alongside his friend (photographer), decide to shoot an indie film within their village. This young auto-driver (Veera) also has a lot of dreams for his little village. Dreams that people of the city would consider a basic necessity. He wants to make a blockbuster film with this camera and bring about some amazing changes to his town. Simultaneously, there is Sindhu who is the owner of this camera, on the lookout for her lost device. How these two collide and whether a film was made in this village forms for the rest of the storyline.
Now, Cinemabandi is not just about whether this film was made. It speaks about hope, fortune, hardwork and a lot more. The village of Gollapally does not receive any rainfall throughout the year. Over here, rain plays an important character as it replenishes the hope that might be lost. Instances like these prove the brilliance of the makers of this film. There is a sequence where the hero (Maridesh) of the film and the heroine (Divya) meet for the first time. The number of 'takes' by Veera and his friend are a riot! It would both make you laugh and keep you emotionally hooked.
As for the performances, the casting equation seems extremely fresh. Be it Vikas as Veerababu, Rag Mayur as Maridesh Babu (hero of the film) or even the school girl Trishara (Divya), none of them seem like usual film artists and this makes it extremely natural. Special mention to the team for scooping out a whole new wave of fresh actors for these roles.
Technically, Cinemabandi is abundant. Now why I say this is because, this sort of a story about a chance indie filmmaker, must have a simple yet exquisite cinematography pattern. The colours are so real and the frames are enjoyable. Kudos to the DOP team (Apoorva & Sagar). Music by Sirish and editing by Dharmendra add value to the script too.
At many junctures, the film asks us if we really require massive budgets and a mass hero to entertain audiences. In fact, the whole idea of the film is probably to break this barrier and establish the fact that 'anybody can be a filmmaker'. These sort of emotions would unanimously connect to those driven by pure passion. Even otherwise, the lighter moments would entertain one and all.
Overall, Netflix’s Cinemabandi produced by Raj & DK is a masterstroke for indie cinema. There are negligible flaws that one might not worry about as the picture has a lot to offer for fans across borders. Do not miss this precious little attempt that might pave way for similar such attempts from Telugu cinema and regional filmmakers.
Verdict
Cinemabandi is a wholesome yet soulful film that restores hope during these tough times! A deserving winner amidst OTT content!
Rating: 3.5/5