If done right, there’s no better genre than a romantic comedy. No other genre is as universal as a well made rom-com. It also caters to a bigger audience unlike sister genres like black comedy, thrillers etc. Despite the impact and repeat-viewing nature of the genre, we haven’t had a well made rom-com in years. Om Shanti Oshana released came out in 2014, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani in 2013, Kirik Party in 2016, Kaadhalum Kadandhu Pogum in the year 2016 and Pelli Choopulu in the year 2016. It’s really been over 6 years since we have had a well accepted feel good romance and Ante Sundaraniki (2022) finally feels like a fresh air.
Ante Sundaraniki might have had a lacklustre run at the movies mostly due to hiked ticket prices and dull promotional strategy of the makers. Telugu movies in general have been under-performing since RRR with Major being the only exception due to its promotion overdrive. However Ante Sundaraniki was critically well received when it released on 10th June, 2022. Despite reduced footfalls, the film still had positive audience reviews too.
Now that the film started streaming on Netflix India, the streaming audience is definitely going to give the film a long lasting reception it actually deserves. Within a day of its Netflix release, the film already dethroned Stranger Things Season 4 from #1 position on Netflix Top 10 charts. The dubbed version of the film (Tamil and Malayalam) is also trending at #6 overall. One major reason for this super positive reception is that, Netflix India/streaming audience is a sucker for well made rom-coms. Ante Sundaraniki is definitely ticking all the boxes a rom-com fan goes weak in the knees for. Let’s not forget that the movie’s streaming release comes at a time where there’s not just a rom-com draught but also people desperately craving for escapism at the comfort of their homes.
‘Ante Sundaraniki’ follows the story of Sundara, a Brahmin boy who falls for Leela, a Christian girl. Knowing of his over-bearing family’s disapproval, he fetches a plan to convince his parents. He trains Leela to be a Brahmin and brings her home. What the couple faces next is an unplanned pregnancy. The film serves enough and more laughs and romance and drama as the couple strive for their parents’ acceptance. The premise of the film is not just a classic rom-com recipe but also universal in the sense that it has people all over the world swooning over.
One of the major USP’s of Ante Sundaraniki is the chemistry of its onscreen couple. Not only is Nazriya and Nani unbeatable at comedy, they also share an incredibly cute chemistry in the film making you root for them throughout. Now what is a even a rom-com without fireworks chemistry between its lead couple? The supporting cast of Ante Sundaraniki is also solid. Veteran actors like Naresh, Rohini, Nadiya, N Alagan Perumal, Harshavardhan etc gel like bread and butter alongside Nani and Nazriya.
The film is written and directed by Vivek Athreya whose sophomore outing ‘Brochevarevarura’ (2019) is a contemporary classic. Produced by Mythri Movie Makers, Ante Sundaraniki also marks Nazriya’s Telugu debut. Vivek Sagar’s music also is one of the major reasons for Ante Sundaraniki to eventually age well.
Its true that streaming giants have been eating over theatrical revenues with their minimal (< 1 month) release windows off-late. Its also true that many a times movies and shows have gained cult following post their streaming acquisition. Case in question, Netflix definitely exposed Ante Sundaraniki to a larger set of audience who would otherwise have not watched the film at the movies. A good film should get the due it deserves at the end of the day and Ante Sundaraniki is definitely getting its due, thanks to Netflix. Catch the film on Netflix India now.