T-town gets love struck

If there’s one genre that emerged strongest and defined Tollywood in 2011, then it’s the fresh, breezy rom-coms. Hyderabad Times looks back at the trend.
The year 2011 brought love and laughter back on the silverscreen. Films like “Ala Modalaindi”, “100% Love”, “LBW”, “It’s My Love Story”, “Oh My Friend”, “Kudirithe Cup Coffee”, “Teenmaar” — all jumped the rom-com bandwagon.Even mass entertainers like “Kandireega” and “Mr Perfect” had generous helpings of romance and comedy. some clicked, some didn’t. But the audiences didn’t complain. They awwed and oohed at the happily-ever afters and walked out of theaters with a smile on their faces. Director Madhura Sreedhar says “Ala Modalaindi” set the ball rolling. “I think it all started with “Ala Mdalaindi” which was easily the best of the lot. Of late, the established actors have been doing only mass entertainers, so well-made rom-coms came in as a breath of fresh air for the audiences and they lapped it up,” says Sreedhar, who directed “It’s My Love Story.”
Putting the trend in perspective is director Nandini Reddy who says, “Telugu cinema had moved away from romance in the recent past, but I am glad that rom-coms had a bit of a revival this year. Also, they are simpler to make budget wise as they rely just on good writing and acting unlike action films and thrillers that need much technical expertise. That explains why we see many newcomers trying their hand at such films first.”
While “100% Love” broke new ground exploring how sparks fly between a studious boy and a girl who are competing with each other, “Oh My Friend” explored the relationship between a boy and girl who are very close, but prefer to keep their relationship purely platonic. “It’s My Love Story” on the other hand explored the still touchy subject of live-in relationships.
The romance has gotten a lot more contemporary as well. “Romance is fleeting and relationships have gotten a lot more disposable today, which is why we’ll find a cut in melodramatic content. There are not many films centered on heartache and angst. romance is now a lot more chic and hassle free; so even the color palettes have gotten a lot brighter. The movies are reflecting this trend, which is why they are striking a chord with the audience,” says Sreedhar, adding,” “We are going to see the trend continuing in 2012 as well.”
Nadini Reddy however, isn’t so sure about the trend continuing in the next year, but says, “I would love to see more of romance honestly. It’s a genre that has universal appeal. I just wish they could get more rooted and deeper.”