Cinema Bandi: A heart-warming indie take on filmmaking

Cinema Bandi
Telugu (Netflix)
Director: Praveen Kandregula
Cast: Vikas Vasistha, Rag Mayur and Sandeep Varanasi.

‘Cinema Bandi’, a film by newcomers, gained attention when Raj & DK decided to present the film. The duo behind acclaimed Hindi projects like ‘Shor In the City’, and ‘Family Man’ recently launched D2R Indie, a production house to back independent filmmakers.

It is fitting that the first film under the banner is about a novice’s struggle to make a film. Debutant director Praveen Kandregula works on the famous phrase ‘Everyone’s a filmmaker’ and offers a hilarious and heart-warming story set in a village.

An auto driver (Vikas Vasistha), struggling to make ends meet, finds a high-end camera in his vehicle. Along with a photographer friend, he sets out to make a film. People from rural towns are fascinated by cinema. Praveen uses their innocence to great effect.

The terrific cast and the funny lines written for them make the film thoroughly entertaining. It is impressive to see crucial aspects like scripting, casting, costume designing, choreography and cinematography are woven into the film’s humorous narrative. Debutant writers Vasanth Maringanti and Krishna Pratyusha deserve full marks for keeping two solid twists in the plot.

The probability of an auto driver getting to be a director after finding a posh camera is very low. But ‘Cinema Bandi’ is a film with a big heart. More importantly, in a fairytale-like story, the climax is close to reality.

It is heartening to see a new team produce an honest effort. This is a film that will leave you smiling.