Telusu Kada (2025): Neerraja Kona's Tangled Tango of Love and Ego – A Dude's Messy Heart-to-HeartYo, romantics and relationship wreckers, snag a tub of ice cream (the kind that doesn't judge your midnight meltdowns) because Telusu Kada just stirred up theaters on October 17, 2025, like a blind date gone gloriously wrong. This Telugu romantic drama, clocking in at a deliberate 2 hours 16 minutes, marks the bold directorial debut of costume designer Neerraja Kona, produced by People Media Factory's T.G. Vishwa Prasad and Vivek Kuchibhotla. Starring Siddhu Jonnalagadda as the egomaniacal chef Varun, with Raashii Khanna and Srinidhi Shetty as the women orbiting his self-absorbed solar system, it's a chamber-piece exploration of modern love's minefield – surrogacy, past heartbreaks, and that pesky male ego. Think Before Midnight filtered through Tollywood's emotional lens, with a dash of Tillu Square's cheeky charm but way more therapy-session vibes. As a dude who's bungled enough "it's not you, it's us" talks to fill a rom-com montage, I sauntered in expecting cathartic chaos. Did it unpack the baggage? Partially – it's raw and riveting in spots, but stumbles into tedious territory like a bad rebound. Spoiler-free unpack ahead, with tissues optional.
The setup simmers in Hyderabad's upscale kitchens and cozy apartments, where Varun (Siddhu Jonnalagadda) rules his restaurant like a culinary dictator, haunted by a college-era jilting that turned him into a fortress of fragility. Orphaned young, he's laser-focused on building a "perfect" family, marrying the grounded Ananya (Raashii Khanna) – a no-nonsense career woman who's all in on their IVF dreams until surrogacy enters the chat. Enter the curveball: Their surrogate turns out to be Varun's ex, Kavya (Srinidhi Shetty), a free-spirited artist whose reappearance cracks open old wounds and fresh resentments. What unfolds is less a love triangle and more a conversational coliseum – four walls, endless talks, simmering silences, and egos clashing like poorly plated fusion cuisine. Kona doesn't rush the reveals; she lets the awkwardness breathe, turning domestic dinners into dissecting sessions on consent, ambition, and why "happily ever after" feels like a scam. It's not fireworks romance; it's the slow burn of realizing your soulmate might just be your biggest blind spot.
Siddhu Jonnalagadda? Man's a chameleon, dudes – flipping from DJ Tillu's slick slacker to this brooding ball of insecurities with effortless menace. Varun's not likable; he's a mirror to every guy's worst impulses – the rants about "commitment-phobes," the passive-aggressive jabs at women's choices, all wrapped in that boyish grin that makes you forgive (almost). Siddhu sells the unraveling: A twitch in his jaw during a surrogate reveal, eyes darting like he's dodging emotional grenades. It's his meatiest role yet, raw and unfiltered, earning that 7.6 IMDb nod for "nuanced charisma." Raashii Khanna anchors the heart as Ananya, her quiet fury and weary wisdom cutting deeper than any scream – think a Telugu take on Marriage Story's Scarlett Johansson, vulnerable yet venomous. Srinidhi Shetty as Kavya brings breezy enigma, her artist's whims clashing beautifully with the couple's rigidity; it's a role that lets her stretch beyond glamour, into messy authenticity. Supporting bits from Viva Harsha as Varun's wisecracking buddy add levity, but the real stars are the women – they elevate the script's flaws, making the male gaze feel uncomfortably examined.
Kona's writing-directing debut flexes real promise. The first half? A masterstroke of intimate intrigue, unfolding like a four-hander play with cinematographer Gnana Shekar VS's warm, confined frames trapping the tension – think candlelit kitchens glowing like confessionals. Dialogues pop with maturity: Sharp, slice-of-life Telugu that skewers societal scripts on marriage and motherhood without preaching. "You know it, right?" – the title's hook – echoes in every half-spoken truth, turning small talk into seismic shifts. Thaman S's score? Mostly subtle, with acoustic gems like that night-montage lullaby lingering like a half-remembered dream, though it occasionally overplays the drama, swelling into distraction during quiet cruxes. Songs are woven smartly – not showstoppers, but emotional glue, like a rain-soaked duet that nails the "what if" ache. Navin Nooli's editing keeps the 136 minutes intimate, no wasteful detours, letting silences scream. Production design shines in the domestic details: Cluttered bookshelves hinting at unspoken histories, a surrogate's sketchpad bursting with color against the couple's beige blandness. Kona sidesteps melodrama for realism – no villainous exes, just flawed folks fumbling forward – tackling surrogacy's ethical knots with a boldness that's rare in Telugu rom-dramas.
Check out the Trailer -
The setup simmers in Hyderabad's upscale kitchens and cozy apartments, where Varun (Siddhu Jonnalagadda) rules his restaurant like a culinary dictator, haunted by a college-era jilting that turned him into a fortress of fragility. Orphaned young, he's laser-focused on building a "perfect" family, marrying the grounded Ananya (Raashii Khanna) – a no-nonsense career woman who's all in on their IVF dreams until surrogacy enters the chat. Enter the curveball: Their surrogate turns out to be Varun's ex, Kavya (Srinidhi Shetty), a free-spirited artist whose reappearance cracks open old wounds and fresh resentments. What unfolds is less a love triangle and more a conversational coliseum – four walls, endless talks, simmering silences, and egos clashing like poorly plated fusion cuisine. Kona doesn't rush the reveals; she lets the awkwardness breathe, turning domestic dinners into dissecting sessions on consent, ambition, and why "happily ever after" feels like a scam. It's not fireworks romance; it's the slow burn of realizing your soulmate might just be your biggest blind spot.
Siddhu Jonnalagadda? Man's a chameleon, dudes – flipping from DJ Tillu's slick slacker to this brooding ball of insecurities with effortless menace. Varun's not likable; he's a mirror to every guy's worst impulses – the rants about "commitment-phobes," the passive-aggressive jabs at women's choices, all wrapped in that boyish grin that makes you forgive (almost). Siddhu sells the unraveling: A twitch in his jaw during a surrogate reveal, eyes darting like he's dodging emotional grenades. It's his meatiest role yet, raw and unfiltered, earning that 7.6 IMDb nod for "nuanced charisma." Raashii Khanna anchors the heart as Ananya, her quiet fury and weary wisdom cutting deeper than any scream – think a Telugu take on Marriage Story's Scarlett Johansson, vulnerable yet venomous. Srinidhi Shetty as Kavya brings breezy enigma, her artist's whims clashing beautifully with the couple's rigidity; it's a role that lets her stretch beyond glamour, into messy authenticity. Supporting bits from Viva Harsha as Varun's wisecracking buddy add levity, but the real stars are the women – they elevate the script's flaws, making the male gaze feel uncomfortably examined.
Kona's writing-directing debut flexes real promise. The first half? A masterstroke of intimate intrigue, unfolding like a four-hander play with cinematographer Gnana Shekar VS's warm, confined frames trapping the tension – think candlelit kitchens glowing like confessionals. Dialogues pop with maturity: Sharp, slice-of-life Telugu that skewers societal scripts on marriage and motherhood without preaching. "You know it, right?" – the title's hook – echoes in every half-spoken truth, turning small talk into seismic shifts. Thaman S's score? Mostly subtle, with acoustic gems like that night-montage lullaby lingering like a half-remembered dream, though it occasionally overplays the drama, swelling into distraction during quiet cruxes. Songs are woven smartly – not showstoppers, but emotional glue, like a rain-soaked duet that nails the "what if" ache. Navin Nooli's editing keeps the 136 minutes intimate, no wasteful detours, letting silences scream. Production design shines in the domestic details: Cluttered bookshelves hinting at unspoken histories, a surrogate's sketchpad bursting with color against the couple's beige blandness. Kona sidesteps melodrama for realism – no villainous exes, just flawed folks fumbling forward – tackling surrogacy's ethical knots with a boldness that's rare in Telugu rom-dramas.
Check out the Trailer -
Technically, it's polished without polish-overkill. VS's lensing captures Hyderabad's hazy romance – monsoon mists mirroring muddled minds – while Avinash Kolla's sets feel lived-in, not staged. Thaman's BGM pulses with restraint early on, underscoring ego flares like a tightening knot, but post-interval, it veers repetitive, hammering home themes that the script already belabors. Stunts? None – this is a battle of words, not fists, and Kona wields them like weapons, probing how childhood scars scar relationships.
But here's the heartbreak: The second half drags like a therapy session gone overtime. What starts as surgical emotional excavation turns into repetitive recriminations – endless "you said/you meant" loops that test patience more than provoke empathy. Varun's ego trip, initially intriguing, sours into unlikeability; his orphan backstory feels like a crutch for misogynistic slips, sliding from relatable to eye-roll-inducing. The surrogacy twist, novel on paper, unravels into contrived conflicts, with the climax opting for "hopeful" ambiguity that rings hollow – emotional wreckage glossed over like a bad edit. It's niche to a fault: Urban millennials might nod along to the communication breakdowns, but mass audiences craving closure or catharsis will fidget. Reddit threads buzz with split takes – "mature gold" vs. "tedious ego-fest" – mirroring the film's own divides.chatter echoes: Fans rave about Siddhu's fire, but decry the drag.
So, is Telusu Kada a keeper or a casual fling? It's a thoughtful 2.75/5 – a gutsy swing at dissecting modern messiness that hooks with honesty but falters in follow-through, prioritizing setup over soul-deep payoff. Siddhu, Raashii, and Srinidhi's trio turns potential soap into something sharper, making it essential for couples' date nights (or solo reflections). But if you're after tidy triumphs, it'll leave you tangled. Kona's debut screams potential – refine the runtime, dial back the dude-bro defense mechanisms, and you've got a gem. For now, it's a convo-starter: Do we ever really "know" in love? Watch it, talk it out, then hug it out. Relationships: Complicated as hell, just like this flick. Abide the awkward, fellas.
But here's the heartbreak: The second half drags like a therapy session gone overtime. What starts as surgical emotional excavation turns into repetitive recriminations – endless "you said/you meant" loops that test patience more than provoke empathy. Varun's ego trip, initially intriguing, sours into unlikeability; his orphan backstory feels like a crutch for misogynistic slips, sliding from relatable to eye-roll-inducing. The surrogacy twist, novel on paper, unravels into contrived conflicts, with the climax opting for "hopeful" ambiguity that rings hollow – emotional wreckage glossed over like a bad edit. It's niche to a fault: Urban millennials might nod along to the communication breakdowns, but mass audiences craving closure or catharsis will fidget. Reddit threads buzz with split takes – "mature gold" vs. "tedious ego-fest" – mirroring the film's own divides.chatter echoes: Fans rave about Siddhu's fire, but decry the drag.
So, is Telusu Kada a keeper or a casual fling? It's a thoughtful 2.75/5 – a gutsy swing at dissecting modern messiness that hooks with honesty but falters in follow-through, prioritizing setup over soul-deep payoff. Siddhu, Raashii, and Srinidhi's trio turns potential soap into something sharper, making it essential for couples' date nights (or solo reflections). But if you're after tidy triumphs, it'll leave you tangled. Kona's debut screams potential – refine the runtime, dial back the dude-bro defense mechanisms, and you've got a gem. For now, it's a convo-starter: Do we ever really "know" in love? Watch it, talk it out, then hug it out. Relationships: Complicated as hell, just like this flick. Abide the awkward, fellas.