Cert 12A
167 mins
BBFC advice: Contains moderate violence, sexual threat, injury detail, infrequent strong language
Dear Comrade has received almost universal approval and is set to be translated from Telugu to Hindi for the Karah Johar Bollywood treatment.
So, was I the only one who found Bobby, one of its main characters, an irritating meathead?
Vijay Devarakonda plays the young man who dives in, fists and feet first, whenever he perceives an injustice without thinking or seeming to care about his actions.
Initially, this applies to downtrodden students and then a sister of his friend but his most important project becomes the beautiful cousin (Rashmika Mandanna) of a former crush (Shruti Ramachandran).
Mandanna's Lilly is an easygoing young woman who is liked by everyone and turns out to be a cricketer of national team potential.
She falls for Bobby but his temper tantrums threaten not only his but her safety and even when he promises to change he can't.
I shall not ruin the major storyline of Bharat Kamma's film but there are key elements which seem to have been ignored by those praising it.
Firstly, its slapdash handling of clinical depression. It cannot simply be resolved by someone shouting alleged sense at its victim.
Secondly, high-standard sport. Someone who has not played for three years would not be able to achieve the same level as before without putting in a heck of a lot of work.
Thirdly, public violence results in punishment - how Bobby escapes prosecution over and over is a mystery.
Finally, the manner in which a cricket association disciplinary hearing is held is risible.
In my opinion, Dear Comrade's laudable intention of showing how everyone needs strong friends is submerged beneath an off-kilter love story and a lot of shouting and hitting.
And when I say a lot, I mean a lot.... for more than two and a half hours.
I can't wait for its Bollywood remake.
Reasons to watch: Rashmika Mandanna's magnetic smile
Reasons to avoid: The boy meets girl element is far too obvious
Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 4/10
Did you know? Some researchers have suggested that ten minutes of exposure to a 6 Hz sound frequency could induce a brain state similar to that during meditation and, therefore, help those suffering anxiety and depression.
Final word (or not!). Karan Johar. "Glad to announce that Dharma Movies will be producing the Hindi remake of Dear Comrade. Super excited about this."