Middle Class Melodies

Story: Raghava (Anand Deverakonda) is a hot-headed young man who believes his Bombay chutney is out of the world and wants to set up his own tiffin centre in Guntur. Will his dream come true?

Review: Vinod Anantoju’s Middle Class Melodies has nothing to do with music; the melodies here refer to the familiar beats in a middle-class Indian life. Be it the cuss words a father spews not out of hate, but love or the way women try to balance the and assert their rights when the time comes – no beat in this beautiful tale seems unfamiliar.

Raghava (Anand Deverakonda) decides to make his delicious Bombay chutney famous in Guntur the day he learns it from his mother Lakshmi (Surabhi Prabhavathi) as a young child in Kolakaluru. His father Kondala Rao (Goparaju Ramana, who's nothing but excellent) is a loud and foul-mouthed man who runs a tiffin centre, a temper his son also inherits. With his parents’ support, he moves to the ‘big city’ to make all his dreams come true. Sandhya (Varsha Bollamma) has been in love with Raghava for years and struggles to get closer to him. But when being famous for his Bombay chutney is Raghava’s first priority, how he manages to leave his mark forms the tale.

Right from the first frame Vinod makes it clear that there will be no rousing music or heroism shown in this tale. It’s hard not to gag with laughter at the ridiculous sight of an old woman being pulled up on a chair with ropes tied to them or at Raghava’s friend Gopal (Chaitanya Garikipati) who is so obsessed with horoscopes, he’s even willing to let go of Gautami (Divya Sripada), a girl he loves because she was born at a particular time. But at a point in the tale, the familiarity gets too much, making you wonder why some of the tracks, like that of Gopal’s uncle and a chit fund, are explored in detail.

Middle Class Melodies is not without its flaws, it also seems to miss a secret ingredient that would make it great, but it refreshingly offers a peek into everyday lives of characters that are relatable. Because this film is not just about Raghava and his dream, even if that holds the story together. The best part about the film is that, it never overdoes on the emotions, keeping the humour and anger both natural. The bitter-sweet beats of this tale are supported by able performances not just by Anand (whose voice and diction is sometimes reminiscent of his brother Vijay Deverakonda) and Varsha (who's cute as a peach), but every single one of the cast members (including a hilarious cameo by Tharun Bhascker) and Goparaju Ramana make their mark. Janardhan Pasumarthi’s dialogues apart from Sweekar Agasthi and RH Vikram’s soulful music and Sunny Kurapati's cinematography also pour soul into the film.

Middle Class Melodies and the tale it tells of an underdog is one as old as time. But it’s also as comforting as some delicious Bombay chutney made with love, which makes it worth watching.