Can Her Bold Choices Work in Tollywood?

Popular costume designer Neeraja Kona has donned the director’s hat and is making her directorial debut with the upcoming film Telusu Kada. Starring Siddhu Jonnalagadda, Raashi Khanna, and Srinidhi Shetty in the lead roles, this movie is slated for release on October 17.

In one of her interviews, Neeraja mentioned that she admires Bollywood filmmaker Zoya Akhtar’s movies. Neeraja said that Telusu Kada is one such attempt that resembles Zoya’s style. Zoya is one of the strong filmmakers in Bollywood, known for dealing with complex relationships in a simple way. Her kind of films do well in Hindi because there is an audience for them up north.

But whether they work in Telugu or not is a question. Neeraja should be commended for choosing a similar path, but whether Tollywood audiences are ready for such films remains a big question.

The trailer of Telusu Kada showcases a complex triangular love story between the lead characters. It also presents the protagonist radically and eccentrically. The trailer has sparked discussions among audiences and raised curiosity about the film. Neeraja seems interested in dealing with such complex and bold subjects. If they click well, she will surely make her mark. However, these subjects come with certain risks in an industry like Tollywood. Crossing such hurdles will definitely be a challenge.

Nevertheless, Neeraja should be appreciated for trying to break the norms and attempting to take a different path.