#dulquer salman

So if you’re from south India, you might have heard of this small film called Mahanati that came out on May 9th.

(If youchoose to read the whole thing (Thanks! ^_^), fairly long post ahead.)

I’m spending my summer, eating mangoes in the AC, scrolling through my feed giving my grandmother half hearted inputs on the noon time daily soap she was engrossed in.

Moments later after the drama ended, (leaving my grandmother complaining of the lead’s pathetic choices and uncanny plot twists yet hanging on to every word in the next episode’s preview) there plays this promotional interview, of the said movie’s cast.

Now I didn’t hang around to watch the entire thing (Ugh, IPL) but that piqued my curiosity because there IS so much buzz. I began searching, reading anything I could find about the movie (Not that I had to work hard tho. It’s literally everywhere sooo) because pshh what did I know about Savitri?

Nothing, othher than her part in Mayabazar (which my mom dragged me along to watch when it was re released in colour in 2011 I think ) but somewhere between ogling at the sets in the BTS videos, the music and all the reverence projected on to her, I decided to not just watch this movie but to enjoy it for their effort. Soooo I began “prepping” myself for the release day. (1st day show yess)

I watch some of her movies, staying up until 4 am, basically memorised her Wikipedia, asked my grandmother about her (because let’s be real, they know more) and went into the theatre all prepped and confident like to a test only you studied for in your group.

Cut to the climax, I was crying. So was my friend. So were a couple of people in the row above (and somewhere an annoying kid like they always do but let’s leave that.)

I cried not just because of the vulnerability, strength and resolve she showed against all that happened or because she succumbes to her weakness in the end. I cried because it’s SUCH a human thing to happen, to try, fail and get back up only to be pushed down again. I knew her story and the heartbreaking ending but it still managed to have an impact on me. (Once again, leaving me in awe of what cinema can do.)

It flowed so beautifully, somewhere I’d forgotten about it (since it is almost exactly like what I’d read and heard) and it really didn’t matter if I knew her story or not because it seemed to have impacted all, connected with all.

This wasn’t a “perfect” heroine in a “perfectly imperfect” world. There were moments of rawness, there was drama, flying-to-the-moon kind (literally!) and vulnerability of a venerated personality we never got to know but most importantly, it had life.

Oh, also, it gives an exciting insight into lives through the 50s and the 80s; ₹2 to set up an art academy, stigma against inter religious marriages, love marriage in general, polygamy, ugh.

If you’re thinking of watching this movie, go ahead! But make sure you book quickly ‘cuz it seems like most will go back to live this experience.(or just for Dulquer Salman because boy is fiiiine)

Anyway, thanks for making it until here 😁and sorry if I bored you, I’m still new! 🤗

Dulquer Salmaan and Meenakshi Chaudhary in ‘Lucky Baskhar’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Lucky Baskhar, the Telugu film written and directed by Venky Atluri, employs the narrative technique of creating tense moments before a twist, then retracing a few steps to reveal the events that led to it, at sporadic intervals. The first time this happens, it is an indication of what the titular…