Edakallu Guddada Mele

Nandini is a neglected daughter of rich parents. Her friends are her lifeline. An untoward incident leaves her feeling lonely. Her parents send her to an estate and a boarding school to get her feeling better. But does she find all the attention and care that she yearns for in her life?

Edakallu Guddada Mele is a cult film in Sandalwood that was made by Puttanna Kanagal. This film is said to be a tribute to the legend, and director Vivian Surya tries to bring some of the problems teenagers face through this bittersweet drama. The film has its moments and has a lot of important topics that are spoken about, but it ends up being a tad too preachy in its approach and the makers have tried to pack in a little too much in one tale, which can get exhaustive for the viewers through the course of the narrative.

The film begins on a very nice note, with the makers showing friendship between four unsuspecting teenage girls from varied backgrounds in a nice manner. The film tries to mirror what one sees in today's world, with a bit of lessons and preaching as well. The second half of the film, especially towards the end, does strike the right chord — that of uneasiness of living in a world like ours. But one wishes the makers had tried to focus on one central issue, rather than skimming around the surface of one too many.

The performances, especially of the young girls, are commendable. The film has many cameos from veteran actors, some of which don't seem to add too much relevance to the narrative. There are few films that touch upon topics related to teenagers and this is one of the few to do so. If you want to watch some bittersweet moments on screen and support a different attempt, you could opt for this film.