Rajiv Bharadwaja

Before anything, let's please please please support this by watching this in theaters with the ENTIRE family . Disclaimer: I'm not connected with the film, crew or cast in any way. This is a stellar coming-of-age drama with multiple themes, stories, and layers portrayed in such a relatable fashion. If you grew up in Bengaluru/Mysuru in the 80s and 90s, you're guaranteed to find your aunts and uncles in each of the film's characters. The storytelling, acting, direction, hyper-smart choice of filming location, recreation of the times (radio, red-oxide flooring, Sudha magazine, Bangalore Press calendar, scooter, car, the hairstyles and moustaches), etc. ... every frame of the movie can be savoured by an interested viewer. And the music. Carnatic kalpanaswarams - why was this the first movie to be exploring using this as a background score?! And the sound engineering - the sounds of mangoes getting chopped brilliantly captures Suma's mindset after the banker's offer to fund her uppinkai startup. Kudos to the late Appu for propelling this, to Ashwini for sticking by Sindhu through obvious upheavals, and of course to Sindhu for her masterful handling of the direction and acting. Hard to fathom that this is a debut effort. Loved every piece of it. Let's have more such, and position ourselves as an industry that produces such hyper discerning content, and as an audience that puts our money where our mouth is to promote and encourage such efforts.