Made in Bengaluru talks about aspirations and setbacks that are integral to any ambition. It also sends across the message of the visionary poet Willian Blake, “No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wing.” Anything that has been conceived can be achieved if the support system is encouraging.
Suhas (Madhusudan Govind), an engineer from a middle-class family dreams of setting up a start-up and is inspired by Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. Although everything begins rosy, reality hits him hard soon and he is discouraged by a handful of investors.
Finally, Suhas ends up borrowing Rs 25 lakhs from a gangster, Mohan Reddy (Sai Kumar), on the condition to pay back double in a year. Suhas and his friends begin the Veggies Pro app, an interface between farmers and customers.
Suhas soon falls for a new recruit Nidhi (Himanshi Varma), who happens to be his junior in college. But his dreams come crashing down when Nidhi turns out to be the thorn in his life. Fraught with unfinished aspirations, unfulfilled promises, and life in limbo, the rest of the story is about how Suhas handles his situation with his friends. Director Pradeep Sastry explores a less explored topic of young techies turning into businessmen through the film, which is equally a social drama revolving around the lovable main character.
With slices of comedy, friendship, family, business and romance, interlaced with twists at regular intervals, the clear narrative keeps us invested throughout. Albeit the slow pacing and logical loopholes, Made in Bengaluru is an intriguing take on the complicated relationships between Suhas and his friends as the explore their careers.
Performance by veterans like Anant Nag, Sai Kumar, Prakash Belawadi, and a whole bunch of young talents including Shankar Murthy, Puneeth Manja, Vamshidhar, and Himanshi Varma elevate the story. Vineeth Beep Kumar’s role brings comic relief. Irrespective of the screen time, Bhatta (Shankar Murthy) is a clear winner in terms of his role.
Madhusudhan Govind as the lead is impressive in his debut and nails his character as an ambitious, helpless romantic. There are many layers in his role. He is smart but diffident and tough at times. With the title Made in Bengaluru, the film plays a credible tribute to the garden city and IT capital while showcasing the importance of culture and language. The film is also a musical with some incredible songs by Ashwin P Kumar. Each song is placed well and blends with the story.
Despite the film being about start-ups and business relations, this social drama caters to all types of viewers. So, it won’t be a surprise if the viewers head to restaurants to savour idlis, as the rice cake becomes an inspiration and innovation of this whole story.
Made in Bengaluru
Director: Pradeep Sastry
Cast: Madhusudhan Govind, Anant Nag, Sai Kumar, Prakash Belawadi, Shankar Murthy, Puneeth Manja, Vamshidhar, and Himanshi Varma
Rating:3/5