Fidaa
Fidaa (transl. Spellbound) is a 2017 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Sekhar Kammula, and produced by Dil Raju under Sri Venkateswara Creations banner. It stars Varun Tej and Sai Pallavi, the latter's debut in Telugu cinema. The film has soundtrack composed by Shakthkanth Karthik, with cinematography and editing by Vijay C. Kumar and Marthand K. Venkatesh respectvely. The plot follows a love–hate relationship between Bhanumathi (Pallavi), a strong-minded village girl and her brother-in-law Varun (Tej), an NRI from the US.
| Fidaa | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Shekhar Kammula |
| Produced by | Dil Raju Shirish |
| Written by | Shekhar Kammula |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Score: Jeevan Babu Songs: Shakthikanth Karthick |
| Cinematography | Vijay C. Kumar |
| Edited by | Marthand K. Venkatesh |
Production company | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 145 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Telugu |
| Budget | ₹13 crore[2] |
| Box office | est. ₹90 crore[2][3] |
Principal photography commenced in August 2016, and was shot in Banswada of Telangana, and Texas and Colorado.[4][5] Released on 21 July 2017, the film was a commercial success, grossing over ₹90 crore on a budget of ₹13 crore .[2] The film won four Filmfare Awards from nine nominations, in addition to two SIIMA Awards. Sai Pallavi’s performance was ranked by Film Companion amongst 100 Greatest Performances of the Decade.[6]
Plot
Varun is a non-resident Indian who lives in Texas, United States with his elder brother Raju and adopted, younger brother Bujji. He is a medical student aiming to become a neurosurgeon. Varun comes to India along with his younger brother for Raju's marriage to Renuka, whose family hails from Banswada in Telangana. There he meets Bhanumathi, Renuka's younger sister. Bhanu is a beautiful and naughty girl who doesn't want to feel secondary to anyone. Gradually Varun and Bhanu develop a liking for each other but don't express it. Bhanu loves her father very dearly and doesn't believe in leaving him after her marriage. One day, she overhears Varun talking to his cousin Shailu about the opportunities in USA compared to India which he deems unfit for settling. Worse, his reference to a marriage between Shailu and her boyfriend is misconstrued by Bhanu as being between Varun and Shailu and so she feels cheated and misled by Varun. Heartbroken, Bhanu decides to forget Varun and kill her feelings for him and starts to ignore him. After his brother's marriage, Varun returns to USA but can't stop thinking about Bhanu all the time. He decides to confess his love to her. But Bhanumathi gives him a rude answer which enrages Varun creating a rift between them that widens further due to subsequent rude behaviors from both of them. Bhanu finally agrees to marry a man of her father's choice but realizes she isn't comfortable with him even before marriage.
Meanwhile, Renuka becomes pregnant and is advised bed rest by the doctors. Bhanu is sent to USA by her father to help Renuka cope up with the pregnancy. Varun starts being inconsiderate towards Bhanu during her stay with them. This disturbs Bhanu and an argument ensues between them after which she decides to leave for India in a week. Before leaving, Bhanu decides to visit her friend in USA and Varun is asked to drop Bhanu at her friend's place. On the way when Varun drops her at a bus stop so she can take a bus, both have their final fight. Realizing he has hurt her, Varun makes amends and confesses to Bhanu how deeply he loves her and cannot imagine his life with anyone else and that his bad behavior towards her was but a dirty mask to try and get rid of, albeit unsuccessfully, his feelings for her, but since he seeks her happiness, will respect and value her going forward. They then decide to stay as friends and he offers to show her America. It is during this cross-country USA roadtrip that Bhanu realizes how deep Varun's love for her is and she also rediscovers her own deep feelings for him. Before leaving for India, at the airport, Bhanu runs to Varun and hugs him with tearful eyes. Varun understands that Bhanu still loves him and a few days later goes to India to ask for her hand in marriage. Bhanu's father who comes to know of their feelings for each other, advises her to follow her heart and marry Varun instead of the man he chose to which she agrees. Though happy that she is marrying Varun, she is apprehensive about leaving her father and her village. After the wedding ceremony, Bhanu starts packing her luggage to leave for the USA. Renuka then tells her the truth that Varun actually gave up his life in the US and his medical seat and has decided to settle and practice as a Doctor in their village. Overjoyed, Bhanu runs to Varun and asks him how he could make such a big sacrifice to which he answers that where ever she is, it is his world because he loves her a lot. Varun decides to establish a hospital in the village and they are married thereafter.
Cast
- Varun Tej as Varun
- Sai Pallavi as Bhanumati
- Sai Chand as Bhanumati's father
- Satyam Rajesh as Ali, Varun's friend
- Gayathri Gupta as Sumathi, Bhanumati's friend
- Manisha Eerabathini as Shailu, Varun's cousin
- Raja Chembolu as Raju, Varun's elder brother
- Saranya Pradeep as Renuka, Bhanumati's elder sister
- Aryan Talla as Bujji, Varun's younger brother
- Geeta Bhaskar as Bhanumati and Renuka's aunt
- Dimple Hayati
- Katarina Richter as Suzie
- Patrick Lescarbeau as Party Guest
- Nicole Onyeje as Student
- Nathan Smales
- Lydia Pagan
- Sri Harsha Jasti
- Harshvardhan Rane as Bhanumati's neighbor/suitor (cameo)
Soundtrack
| Fidaa | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Shakthikanth Karthick | ||||
| Released | 10 July 2017 | |||
| Recorded | 2017 | |||
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack | |||
| Length | 27:59 | |||
| Label | Aditya Music | |||
| Producer | Shakthikanth Karthick | |||
| Shakthikanth Karthick chronology | ||||
| ||||
The film's music is scored by music director Shakthikanth Karthick and released on Aditya Music.
The song "Hey Pillagaada" is inspired by an older song "Parugulu Theeyaali" from the movie Malliswari (1951).[7]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Vachinde" | Suddala Ashok Teja | Madhu Priya, Ramky | 5:22 |
| 2. | "Edo Jarugutondi" | Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry | Aravind Srinivas, Renuka | 5:04 |
| 3. | "Hey Pillagaada" | Vanamali | Sindhuri, Sinov Raj | 4:08 |
| 4. | "Oosupodu" | Chaitanya Pingali | Hemachandra | 4:33 |
| 5. | "Hey Mister" | Vanamali | Deepak | 3:31 |
| 6. | "Fidaa" | Chaitanya Pingali | Hemachandra, Malavika | 5:21 |
| Total length: | 27:59 | |||
Release
Theatrical release
The film was released worldwide on July 21, 2017. It was made on a budget of 13 crores and ended up grossing ₹90 crores, with a distributor share of ₹48 crore . It was the seventh highest-grossing Telugu film of that year.[2][3] It is dubbed into Malayalam under the same title and in Tamil as Banumathi.[8]
Home media
The film premiered on television in Star Maa channel on September 24, 2017, and received a massive 21.3 TRP just behind Bahubali and Magadheera.
Critical reception
The Hindu critic Sangeetha Devi opined that the film was rooted in reality. "Director Sekhar Kammula returns with a heart-warming romantic musical, powered by compelling characters," she added.[9] A reviewer from The Times of India rated the film three stars and wrote, "The plot line is too flimsy and simplistic; the climax is also a la Anand"[10]
In his review for the Firstpost, Hemanth Kumar CR rated it 3.25 out of five, and stated, "The film is packed with relatable characters, a lead pair whose sparkling chemistry is bound to put a smile on your face, and a landscape which takes your breath away just by its sheer beauty and simplicity." Kumar however felt that the climax was rushed and the story itself needed better closure.[11] Karthik Keramulu writing for The News Minute appreciated the lead cast performances by stating, "While Sai Palavi steals the show, Varun Tej plays the shy boy to perfection."[12] The Indian Express critic Priyanka Sundar rated the film 3 stars of 5, and wrote: "Sekhar Kammula directorial Fidaa has done something unexpected yet again with this film which is to tell a story from the female perspective." She, however, added that the film falls short due to lack of strong supporting cast.[13]
Awards and nominations
References
- "Fidaa (2017) – Fidaa Telugu Movie – Fidaa Review, Cast & Crew, Release Date, Photos, Videos – Filmibeat". FilmiBeat.
- "'Fidaa' star in no hurry to sign projects, waiting for right script". 8 January 2018.
- "Tollywood in 2017: 15 highest grossing Telugu movies of the year - Baahubali 2, Khaidi No 150, JLK, DJ and others". IB TImes.
- "Varun "Tej's Fidaa wraps up first schedule".
- "'Fidaa' is completely Sekhar Kammula's film, says producer Dil Raju". The News Minute. 14 July 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
- "100 Greatest Performances of the Decade". 100 Greatest Performances of the Decade. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
- "Interview with Sekhar Kammula about Fidaa - Telugu cinema director". www.idlebrain.com. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
- Kavirayani, Suresh (7 August 2016). "Sai Pallavi bags Tollywood project opposite Varun Tej". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
- Dundoo, Sangeetha Devi (21 July 2017). "'Fidaa' review: rooted in reality". The Hindu.
- "Fidaa Review {3/5}: The only memory you'd carry back is that of Bhanu and her Telangana dialect". Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- "Fidaa movie review: Varun Tej, Sai Pallavi-starrer has heartwarming moments but lacklustre second half- Entertainment News, Firstpost". Firstpost. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- "'Fidaa' review: Sai Pallavi makes a magnificent Telugu debut in this fun romcom". The News Minute. 21 July 2017.
- "Fidaa movie review: Sai Pallavi is the heart and soul of this film". The Indian Express. 21 July 2017.
- "Filmfare Awards South 2018 winners' list: SS Rajamouli's Baahubali 2, Fidaa, Aramm win top honours- Entertainment News, Firstpost". Firstpost. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
- "SIIMA AWARDS | 2018 | winners | |". siima.in. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
- "SIIMA Awards 2018 nominations: Vijay's Mersal leads with nine nods, followed by Vikram Vedha - Entertainment News , Firstpost". Firstpost. 16 August 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
- Hooli, Shekhar H. (19 December 2017). "Zee Telugu Golden Awards 2017 nomination list: Baahubali 2 gets highest nods, will Prabhas get an award?". www.ibtimes.co.in. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
- Hooli, Shekhar H. (1 January 2018). "Zee Telugu Golden Awards 2017 winners list and photos". www.ibtimes.co.in. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
