Telugu cinema’s fascination for jilted loverboys in the past couple of years needs to be formally studied. Since the release of Arjun Reddywhich came out seven years ago, the number of stories with a broken man at the centre (and a woman responsible for it) is just too overwhelming to ignore. On the surface, Vikram Reddy’s Roti Kapda Romance is no different. While it imbibes a frothy, lighter mood, the film nonetheless follows the emotional arc of its four male leads, tracking their heartache and coping mechanisms—even as you long to see the perspective of women characters, who rarely get to tell their own stories, at least in Telugu cinema.
And yet, this is where the film stands apart. While women here are not the protagonists, they are not vilified antagonists of the story either. They are raw, complex human beings with their share of misgivings and mistakes who are thankfully portrayed with as much humanity as their male counterparts, although not being given as much prominence in terms of screen time.
Cast: Khushboo Choudhary, Supraj Ranga, Harsha Narra, Sandeep Saroj, Nuveksha, Megha Lekha, Sonu Thakur, Tarun Ponuganti
Director: Vikram Reddy
For a large chunk, the film follows a regular template where our protagonists—Harsha, Rahul, Surya and Vicky—go down a path of wallowing in self-pity and alcohol. There are bewildering moments when the narrative seems to side with the aggressive heroes and their problematic behaviour, instead of looking at them critically, while the women are prone to coming across as vamps. But then, the director surprises you by oscillating between sympathising with his ‘heroes’ and laughing at their self-created hellhole. The lopsided gaze is also partially evened out by a bunch of light moments. In a hilarious sequence, Vicky (Supraj Ranja) returns home only to find Surya (Tarun Ponuganti) spread out on a beanbag, drunk as a skunk, listening to a particularly sentimental 80s love song. It feels so excessively sad that it becomes funny, and this is the energy Roti Kapda Romance needed more of.
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