Emotional comedies aren’t just films; if well made, they’re warm embraces, crafted to find a place in our hearts and stay there. They thrive on universal charm, offering lightness to counter life’s heaviness.
Brahma Anandam seemed destined to be that sugary delight: a film to cosy up with, to quote endlessly from, to turn into the next source of viral meme gold. And for a while, it almost is. Raja Goutham and Vennela Kishore’s mischievous energy pulls us in, the use of real locations feels refreshingly authentic, and Brahmanandam himself is a delight, his every gesture filling the screen with an irreplaceable charm.
But what happens when a film promises comfort and delivers indifference? When the laughter fades too soon and the warmth never fully arrives? That letdown stings more than a misfired action spectacle because this was meant to be ours. So, where did it go wrong? Let’s find out.
Overwhelmed by debt and armed with a sarcastic tongue, Brahmanandam (Raja Goutham) is a broke theatre artist desperate to make his name in the world of art. His cheekiness, opportunism and narcissism often land him in trouble. He lives with his friend Giri (Vennela Kishore), who is a doctor. Brahma lands an opportunity to showcase his play at a prestigious event but doesn’t have the money to do so.
His journey takes a turn when he meets his estranged grandfather, Anand Rao Murthy (Brahmanandam), in a senior living facility. Anand Rao proposes that he will sell his land and fund Brahma’s play, but only if he fulfils a certaincondition. As Brahma navigates his way through this challenge, he gets shocked to learn that his grandfather has other plans.
The film hits all the right notes with Raja Goutham’s character. He displays such enjoyable cunningness that you have a great time. And instead of lifeless sets, the makers seem to have used many real locations of Hyderabad.
You completely understand this modern youngster who is yearning to be something, but life itself has gradually made him shrewd. His general coldness towards his girlfriend (Priya Vadlamani) is also treated with equal parts playfulness and judgement.
As these fun parts keep you warmed up, enter the legend of the hour—Brahmanandam. In all sincerity, Brahmanandam is the heart of this film. Every expression, every pause, every smirk, satisfies the void for all audiences who have been badly missing him. We are hooked on the promise that the film is all set to make us emotional for this cute grandpa.
The film struggles with a fractured identity, shifting easily between different tones. At times, it’s loud, animated, and overly cinematic; at others, it attempts to be a quiet, heartfelt drama. Raja Goutham and Vennela Kishore’s performances swing unpredictably between exaggerated and muted, making key moments feel inconsistent.
The first half lays out a promising foundation, but the film ultimately is indecisive about what it wants to be: an emotional story sensitising the elderly, a riotous comedy, or a subtle slice-of-life drama. It tries to be all three, and at the most jarring moments. The second half, where emotions should peak, instead pulls back into subdued conversations, only to suddenly derail into an outlandish festival dance sequence when a major sensitive plot point is revealed.
The biggest letdown is that the grandfather-grandson relationship remains surface-level, never reaching the deeply moving core it so desperately needed. A pivotal moment when Brahma finally calls his grandfather ‘Thaatha’ should have been a tear-jerking triumph, but it barely registers. The film’s lack of structural cohesion dulls its emotional impact, making us long for the film it could have been.
Many dialogues seem to have changed during dubbing, and this happens so often that it disturbs your watch. With better editing and scene placement, this film might have been the most memorable experience of this year. It might have become the desperate heartwarmer that Telugu needed now.
Director RVS Nikhil came up with a brilliant premise with all the potential to be an emotional powerhouse. But then, the film feels undercooked. Telugu cinema’s coolest producer, Rahul Yadav Nakka, has disappointed this time. He is someone who always reads a script instead of the conventional narration. He prefers debut directors and delivers well-made films. His noble intentions have been middlingly executed.
The film feels like it was made with love but finished with ambivalence, attempting to check too many boxes rather than committing to its core. It’s clear that makers were trying to marry two different cinematic experiences, a loud entertainer and a subtle humanistic drama, trying to meet all the requirements for a typical Telugu cinema distributor. Possibly, with some more conviction in their original idea, they might have delivered the film they wanted to.
With that being said, this is not a film to be dismissed. It is still a lovely effort, and in a time when commercial Telugu cinema rarely dares to slow down and embrace tenderness, it deserves appreciation.
It may not be the heartwarming classic it aspired to be, but many moments are beautifully done in Brahma Anandam: the comedy between the three leads, the bright hope it carries, the fun background score from Sandilya Pisapati and above all, for Brahmanandam himself. Despite its many flaws, it’s a great Brahmanandam show. And that man’s personal attempt deserves as much love as we can give.
Brahma Anandam
Cast: Brahmanandam, Raja Goutham, Vennela Kishore, Divija Prabhakar, Priya Vadlamani
Director: RVS Nikhil